MLS preview: Streaking Toronto FC faces another stiff test vs. Orlando, Griezmann

Toronto FC's Daniel Salloi, left, celebrates his goal against Nashville SC with Alonso Coello during second half MLS action in Toronto, on Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2026. (Keito Newman/CP)

Toronto FC has faced two of the game’s greatest goal scorers in recent weeks in Lionel Messi and Robert Lewandowski , and lived to tell the tale.

TFC recorded a 2-1 road win over Messi and Inter Miami last month and fought back to earn a 4-4-home draw vs. Lewandowski and the Chicago Fire a week ago.

Now the Reds will face a third international goal scorer whose reputation precedes him when they take on Antoine Griezmann and Orlando City in Florida on Saturday night.

Griezmann, 35, officially joined Orlando as a free agent in July after a star-studded European club career that saw him score 299 goals for Atlético Madrid, FC Barcelona and Real Sociedad across 17 years. The veteran forward also plundered 44 goals in 137 games for France, helping Les Bleus win the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.

Thus far, Griezmann has been a one-man wrecking crew for Orlando. The Frenchman marked his MLS debut on July 22 by scoring his 300th career goal at club level in a 4-0 win over the San Jose Earthquakes. A month later, he registered his first brace for his new club in a come-from-behind 2-1 victory against Real Salt Lake.

In total, the former La Liga standout has scored seven goals and tallied three assists in nine MLS starts and is currently riding a four-game scoring streak during which he’s found the back of the net six times.

He’s a big reason why an Orlando side that had just a single win in its first eight games of the season and sat near the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings has just two losses in its last nine contests to climb to sixth place in the East and get back into the playoff race.

“Antoine Griezmann arriving at the team and elevating the players around him has played a huge factor. He’s helped lead the turnaround,” said Orlando City beat reporter Mike Gramajo.

Aside from his goal-scoring record, what’s been especially impressive about Griezmann during his brief MLS tenure has been his attitude and work ethic.

In the past, some aging European stars have come to MLS in the later stages of their careers looking to cash in, viewing their stint in the league as a paid vacation before they decide to retire. But that’s not the case with Griezmann.

“[When] players come from overseas and come from big leagues and big environments, they generally go one of two ways. They’re either kind of above it and don’t really commit to it, or they do the opposite. They come in and they show why they’ve been as good as they’ve been for so long. And I would say Griezmann has been much more in the camp of the latter,” Toronto coach Robin Fraser offered.

“He just brings another level of not just ability with his playing, but a level of professionalism that I think is really helping that team.”

TFC will enter Saturday’s game vs.