Toronto FC have acquired Ecuadorian international midfielder José Cifuentes on loan from Rangers Football Club of the Scottish Premiership, the club announced today. The loan agreement runs through June 30, 2026, with a purchase option. He will be added to the club’s roster pending the receipt of his International Transfer Certificate (ITC), work permit and medicals. The 26-year-old midfielder will not occupy an International Slot as he obtained a U.S. Green Card on December 2, 2021. The transaction was completed on Thursday, prior to the close of Major League Soccer’s Secondary Transfer Window.
“We are delighted to welcome José to Toronto FC,” said Toronto FC General Manager Jason Hernandez. “Cifu will be a welcomed addition to our midfield as he has already proven his ability to deliver at an elite level in MLS. His skill set will complement our current group and serve as an important piece of our team as we continue to build for the future.”
Cifuentes returns to MLS after spending the past two seasons (2023/2024, 2024/2025) with Rangers of the Scottish Premiership. He made a combined 20 appearances for Rangers, including his debut in a UEFA Champions League qualifying match against Swiss club Servette on August 9, 2023. During his time with Rangers, the midfielder was sent on two different loan spells. Cifuentes joined Brazilian side Cruzeiro on February 7, 2024, before moving to Greek club Aris Thessaloniki on August 13, 2024, making a combined 43 appearances for both clubs.
Prior to signing with Rangers, Cifuentes spent three-and-a-half seasons (2020, 2021, 2022, 2023) with Los Angeles FC (LAFC), where he helped lead the team to the 2022 Supporters’ Shield and MLS Cup and the 2023 Concacaf Champions League Finals. In his four seasons with the Black & Gold, he registered 15 goals and 20 assists through 121 appearances across all competitions. He originally joined LAFC on January 13, 2020, using Targeted Allocation Money (TAM), and made his MLS and LAFC debut in a 1-0 win against Inter Miami CF on March 1, 2020. On July 9, 2023, Cifuentes became the fourth player in LAFC’s history to reach 100 MLS regular season games and one of just 10 players in MLS history to reach the milestone in their first four seasons before turning 25.
A native of Esmeraldas, Ecuador, Cifuentes began his career with CD Universidad Católica, where he made six appearances before signing to CD América de Quito of Ecuador’s Serie B. With América de Quito, Cifuentes made 19 appearances across all competitions (LigaPro Serie A and Copa Ecuador).
Cifuentes has earned 21 caps with the senior Ecuador National Team, including two games at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. He made his senior international debut against Peru on September 5, 2019. Cifuentes also represented Ecuador at the U-20 and U-23 levels, where he made a combined 25 appearances. With the U-20 team, Cifuentes helped the team win the 2019 South American U-20 Championship and capture third place at the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Poland.
TRANSACTION: Toronto FC acquire Ecuadorian international midfielder José Cifuentes on loan from Rangers FC of the Scottish Premiership through June 30, 2026, with a purchase option.
JOSÉ CIFUENTES - #8
Position: Midfielder
Height: 5’10”
Weight: 154 lbs.
Born: March 12, 1999 (Age – 26)
Birthplace: Esmeralda, Ecuador
Nationality: Ecuadorian
Previous Club: Rangers Football Club
Pronunciation: See-FWHEN-tez
