On March 4, 2019, Spaniard Alejandro Pozuelo signed with Toronto FC as a designated player to help fill the void left by the recently departed Sebastian Giovinco and compatriot Víctor Vázquez in the creative midfield role. Pozuelo inherited the number ten shirt, which had previously been worn by the Italian. On June 26, 2019, Japanese forward Tsubasa Endoh scored the fastest goal in TFC history, only 29 seconds into the game against Atlanta United FC. After missing the playoffs the previous season, they qualified for the 2019 Playoffs. Toronto FC progressed to the final on November 10, 2019, where they faced the Seattle Sounders for the third time in four of the then-most recent MLS Cup finals held; Toronto FC was ultimately defeated in Seattle by a score of 3–1.