Teal Bunbury Bio
Teal Alexander Bunbury is a professional soccer player who plays as a forward for Major League Soccer club Nashville SC. Born in Canada, he represented the United States national team and is the first son of a former MLS player to be drafted into the league. Across a career that began in 2009, he has been a steady goal-scorer and a respected locker-room presence in Major League Soccer.
Standing 188 centimeters tall, Bunbury combines physical presence with a long track record of clutch goals, including a long-range strike in an MLS Cup Final and double-digit league tallies in a single season. Off the field, he has been honored for his charitable work and community engagement.
Early Life and Background
Teal Alexander Bunbury was born on February 27, 1990, in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. His mother is Kristi Novak, an American of Polish and Swedish descent, and his father is Alex Bunbury, a Guyanese-born, Canadian professional soccer player who finished his career as one of C.S. Marítimo’s all-time top scorers and as a record scorer for the Canadian men’s national team.
At the age of two, Bunbury left Canada and traveled with his family first to England, where his father played briefly, and then to Portugal. When he was 10 years old, the family moved to the United States, and he grew up in Prior Lake, Minnesota, where he attended Shattuck-St. Mary’s High School, a school well known for developing elite athletes across multiple sports.
Bunbury grew up alongside an older sister, the actress Kylie Bunbury, and two younger brothers, Logan and Mataeo, the latter of whom is also a professional soccer player. From an early age he was immersed in the game, eventually playing his first club soccer with Apple Valley Juventus before moving on to the college ranks.
Path to Soccer
Bunbury’s competitive path began with Apple Valley Juventus and continued through high school at Shattuck-St. Mary’s, where he was identified as a college prospect. He committed to the University of Akron, joining a program that had produced several recent MLS SuperDraft picks.
In his first season with the Akron Zips, he appeared in 23 matches, starting ten and scoring six goals, a total second only to future SuperDraft selection Steve Zakuani. As a sophomore, he started all 25 games, including the 2009 NCAA Division I Men’s College Cup final, and led the nation with 17 goals while also leading the team in shots with 103 and tying for the team lead in game-winning goals with five.
After two seasons with the Zips, Bunbury signed a Generation adidas contract, leaving his final years of college eligibility on the table. He was selected in the first round, fourth overall, of the 2010 MLS SuperDraft by Kansas City Wizards, formally launching his professional career.
Teal Bunbury Career
Early Career (2009–2010)
Bunbury’s first taste of senior-level soccer came with the Rochester Thunder of the USL Premier Development League and with Chicago Fire Premier in the USL Super-20 League, programs that gave him minutes alongside his college schedule. He used those experiences to sharpen his finishing and prepare for the physical demands of professional play.
After being drafted by Kansas City Wizards, he made his professional debut on March 27 in the club’s opening match of the 2010 MLS season against D.C. United. He scored his first professional goal on April 13 in a Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup match against the Colorado Rapids, and added his first MLS goal on July 14 in a 1–0 victory over Columbus Crew.
Sporting Kansas City and Injury Setback (2010–2013)
Bunbury’s rookie season was encouraging enough that, in December 2010, he joined English Premier League side Stoke City on trial and scored in a reserve match against Wigan Athletic. The experience offered a window into the European game before he returned to Kansas City.
His progress was interrupted in August 2012, when he suffered a torn ACL during a match against the New York Red Bulls, an injury that kept him off the field for 10 months. He continued to work his way back into the Sporting Kansas City rotation through 2013.
New England Revolution Era (2014–2021)
On February 19, 2014, Bunbury was traded to the New England Revolution for a first-round 2015 MLS SuperDraft pick and allocation money. He made his league debut for New England on March 8 in a 4–0 defeat to the Houston Dynamo, his home debut on March 22 in a scoreless draw with Vancouver Whitecaps, and his first Revolution goal on April 26 in a 2–0 win over Sporting Kansas City. He finished that regular season leading the team in assists with six, adding four goals.
Bunbury became a central figure in New England’s run to the 2014 MLS Cup Final, scoring from long distance in the Eastern Conference final against Red Bull New York. In the final against the LA Galaxy, his potential game-winning shot bounced off the crossbar in the 85th minute, and New England fell 2–1 in extra time. He later helped lead the Revs to the 2016 U.S. Open Cup Final, scoring twice against the New York Cosmos in the Round of 16 and adding the third goal in a 3–1 victory over the Chicago Fire in the semifinals, before the club lost to FC Dallas 4–2 in the final.
He was named Revolution Player’s Player of the Year in 2017, and in 2018 he tallied 11 league goals, reaching double digits for the first time in his career while leading the team with five game-winning goals. During the pandemic-shortened 2020 MLS season, he was the club’s leading scorer and was also named the Revolution’s Humanitarian of the Year, an honor he received again in 2021. When he departed, he ranked seventh in games played for the club with 231, and his 45 Revolution goals stood as the fourth-most in team history.
Nashville SC Era (2022–Present)
On December 12, 2021, Bunbury was traded to Nashville SC for up to $150,000 in allocation money, beginning a new chapter in Tennessee. The move gave Nashville a proven veteran forward with playoff experience and a track record of community involvement.
At Nashville SC, Bunbury has continued to serve as a reliable goal-scorer and leader in the locker room. His combination of size, finishing, and experience has been a steadying influence on the club’s younger attackers.
Driving Style and Strengths
Bunbury’s game is built around a strong 188-centimeter frame that allows him to compete in aerial duels and hold up play against physical center backs. He pairs that presence with calm finishing in the penalty area and a willingness to shoot from distance, qualities that have produced both open-play strikes and composed penalty conversions throughout his career.
Notable Events and Milestones
Signature moments include his long-range goal in the 2014 Eastern Conference final, his role in the 2014 MLS Cup Final against the LA Galaxy, and his contributions to the 2016 U.S. Open Cup Final run. His 2018 double-digit goal season and his place among New England’s all-time leading scorers further underline his longevity in Major League Soccer.
Teal Bunbury Career Wins
Across his time in Major League Soccer, Bunbury has piled up regular-season goals, playoff appearances, and deep runs in domestic cup competition. While he has not lifted a league championship, his résumé includes an MLS Cup Final appearance, a U.S. Open Cup Final appearance, and a long list of individual club honors.
MLS Regular Season and Playoffs Highlights
Bunbury opened his MLS account with Kansas City in 2010, scored consistently across multiple seasons in New England, and reached double-digit league goals for the first time in 2018 with 11. He became New England’s all-time leader in assists during the 2014 season and later cemented himself among the club’s top four career goal scorers.
Other Wins and Performances
Bunbury has also represented the United States at senior international level, earning his first cap on November 17, 2010, in the Nelson Mandela Challenge Cup against South Africa and scoring his first international goal against Chile from the penalty spot in a friendly in Los Angeles. His earlier honors with Canadian youth teams and his 2009 Hermann Trophy as the best player in college soccer further highlight a career built on steady, durable production.
Teal Bunbury Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Soccer runs deep in the Bunbury family. His father, Alex Bunbury, is a former striker who finished his career as one of C.S. Marítimo’s all-time top goal scorers and as the joint eighth-highest scorer in the history of the Canadian men’s national team. His older sister, Kylie Bunbury, is an actress, while his younger brother Mataeo Bunbury is also a professional soccer player, continuing the family’s connection to the sport.
Personal Life
In 2015, Teal Bunbury married Kaity Maurer, and the couple has two daughters. He has been recognized for his charitable and humanitarian work, earning New England Revolution Humanitarian of the Year honors in both 2020 and 2021.
2025 Season Performance
Entering the 2025 Major League Soccer campaign, Teal Bunbury remains a veteran forward for Nashville SC, offering experience and finishing depth behind the club’s primary attacking line. His role has shifted toward mentorship and targeted minutes, with the club leaning on his size and poise in tight matches.
Bunbury’s familiarity with playoff-style soccer, sharpened through his 2014 MLS Cup Final run with New England, continues to inform how he approaches the grind of a long MLS season. Nashville’s staff values his consistency in training and his willingness to deliver in spot starts.
While the bulk of Nashville’s goals in 2025 is expected to come from younger attackers, Bunbury’s contract status and locker-room standing keep him firmly in the club’s plans. His ongoing contributions on the field and in the community suggest he will continue to play a meaningful role for Nashville SC throughout the season.