Inside Tajon Buchanan's Family Life- From Losing His Father at 7 to Almost Quitting Soccer, Girlfriend, Parents & More

With Canada searching to secure their first ever World Cup win today in its 2026 World Cup opener against Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Canadian national team will count on attacking star players like Tajon Buchanan.

During Canada's rise in football over the last 10 years, Tajon Buchanan has become one of the bright prospects that has helped the national team reach new heights, like qualifying for the previous World Cup.

Buchanan has been playing in Europe since 2021 and has played for Club Brugge, Inter Milan, and Villarreal. He currently plays for Villarreal in Spain and has played 34 games this previous season, scoring 7 goals and providing one assist.

It was a difficult road for Buchanan to reach professional football after losing his father at a very young age, and making a bold decision to make his dream of becoming a professional football player come true.

About Tajon Buchanan's Family

Tajob Buchanan was born and raised in Brampton, Ontario, Canada. Buchanan was raised for most of his life by his mother, Geraldeen Taylor, after his father passed away when the Canadian star was 7 years old.

It was reported that eight years later, Buchanan made a bold decision to move to Colorado, in the United States, with his best friend and his best friend's father, who was a former coach. The coach is Chrys Chrysanthou, and Buchanan looked to pursue professional football.

Buchanan made his professional football debut with the New England Revolution in 2019, when he was 20 years old, five years after moving to the United States.

Buchanan is not married but has been in a long-term relationship with his girlfriend, Valentina Nivicki, who has supported the Canadian star during Canada games and during games played in Europe.

Tajon Buchanan Almost Quit Football?

In an exclusive interview with TSN, Tajon Buchanan spoke about believing that his professional football career was over after suffering a broken leg injury and getting a low number of minutes for Inter Milan in 2024.

Buchanan joined Inter in 2024 and only played 17 games for them across all competitions. He only played one year for the Italian giants before joining Villarreal on loan in early 2025 and then joining the Spanish side permanently in July 2025.

Buchanan doubted himself in playing at a high professional level when he lacked minutes for Inter Milan, and really thought his career was over after his broken leg injury during the 2024 Copa America.

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This story was originally published June 12, 2026 at 11:46 AM.