At 35, Jozy Altidore looks like he could still be a handful on the football pitch as shown during an interview in Toronto on Thursday July 31, 2025. But the former U.S. and Toronto FC star striker is making his mark in the business world these days. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Giordano Ciampini

TORONTO — At 35, Jozy Altidore looks like he could still be a handful on the football pitch. But the former U.S. and Toronto FC star striker is making his mark in the boardroom these days.

Altidore is a part-owner of the NFL's Buffalo Bills with investments in golf's TGL and Bay FC of the National Women's Soccer League among his portfolio. He is involved in the World Food Program, helping deliver more than 100,000 school meals last year in Haiti, the land of his parents.

"It's been a whirlwind," he said of his entrepreneurial efforts. "But in the best ways possible. I'm learning so much. I've got a new-found energy and I'm really excited."

It has taken time preparing for and adjusting to his new day job.

"It was an interesting process because we all, I think, as players get to the point of you start to have to think about what's next," he said in an interview. "I don't think I really did as thoughtfully as one should. When I got here (in Toronto), I put so much into being a part of the group that turns the franchise around and put us on the map.

"You don't think about 'Hey I'm 25, 26 and the next phase is right there.'"

Altidore credits former Toronto teammate Sebastian Giovinco, now a special adviser and ambassador at the club, for helping him get started with post-playing career plans.

"Seba was like 'Hey, we've got to start thinking about this,'" he recalled.

While playing in Toronto, Altidore earned a business degree via Major League Soccer's partnership with Southern New Hampshire University (Canadian Tesho Akindele was the first player to graduate from SNHU through the partnership.)

The burly forward ranks second in goal-scoring for Toronto with 79 goals in all competitions from 2015 to 2021. Only Giovinco, with 83, has more in TFC colours.

Altidore ranks fifth in club appearances with 173.

Altidore also played in the U.S. (Red Bulls, New England), Spain (Villarreal, Xerez CD), England (Hull City, Sunderland), Turkey (Bursaspor), the Netherlands (AZ Alkmaar) and Mexico (Puebla).

Altidore, who remains in the public eye with 243,000 followers on Instagram and some 797,000 on X, was a huge part of Toronto's glory years.

Ignoring a bum ankle, he scored the decisive goal against Columbus in Game 2 of the 2017 Eastern Conference final. He then scored in a 2-0 victory over Seattle to hoist the trophy at BMO Field, earning MVP honours in the championship game.

Altidore further became part of TFC lore with a pithy but epic speech after the team’s victory parade.

“I just want to let you guys know that I’ve been partying since Saturday. … And baby, I’m TFC ‘til I die," said Altidore, clearly feeling no pain two days after the championship game.

Altidore dropped the microphone and then started dancing with his teammates.

On the international front, Altidore was a member of U.S. World Cup teams in 2010 and '14. He was the second-youngest U.S. national team player to earn 100 caps and the third to score more than 40 goals (41).

Altidore, who wrapped up his playing career in 2022 with Mexico's Puebla after a stint with the New England Revolution, finished with 42 goals and 14 assists in 115 international appearances.

The World Cup has always held a special place for Altidore. He got into soccer during the '94 World Cup in the U.S. with his father taping every game.

Father and son plan to take in the 2026 World Cup together with the expanded 48-team tournament taking place in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

"Now it comes full circle where we can now enjoy this World Cup together. It's kind of surreal … It gives me goosebumps," he said.

While Altidore enjoyed his time in Toronto, things soured during the 2021 season when he was some eight weeks on the outs with the club after a confrontation with then-coach Chris Armas.

At the time, Altidore declined to detail the reasons behind the disagreement. But years later, he confirms that his dissatisfaction was prompted by the club's reluctance to give its young talent a chance to shine.

"I wish I would have handled it differently, but we had so many young players … (that) I felt could have at the time have more of an opportunity," he said.

Altidore spent the time training on his own, away from the first team. But he returned to the fray after Armas was fired following a 1-8-2 start to the season.

He scored in his first game back, a 1-1 tie with Orlando that marked TFC's first game at BMO Field since Sept. 1, 2020, due to the pandemic and the first with fans in the stands since March 7, 2020. Altidore, pounding the crest on his jersey, and his teammates headed to the southeast corner of the pitch en masse to celebrate.

Altidore, who now makes his home in South Florida, says he and Armas have since talked it out.

Toronto and TFC remains close to Altidore's heart.

"On a professional level it would be cool to get involved in Toronto FC somehow, to be honest," he said. "You could say it's a club of my life, in a way, in terms of the amount of time I spent here.

"I didn't expect it to impact me the way it did impact my family .., I have so many friends here. And to see where soccer's growing in this country, there's a big opportunity. So why wouldn't one want to be a part of that? Especially to have the opportunity to give back to a place that's given so much to you."

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 31, 2025

News from © The Canadian Press, 2025