A quick and creative player on the ball, Giovinco was a versatile attacker capable of playing in multiple offensive positions but mainly operating behind a lone striker as a trequartista.

Across his four seasons with the club, he won three Canadian Championships as well as a historic domestic treble in 2017, which included the team's maiden MLS Cup and Supporters' Shield titles.

[24] On 5 August 2010, Parma announced the signing of Giovinco on loan from Juventus, with an option to buy half of the player's transfer rights at the end of the season.

[42] In the following league match against Udinese on 2 September, Giovinco scored two goals and won a penalty, which was converted by Chilean teammate Arturo Vidal, as Juventus went on to defeat the Friuli team 4–1 in Udine.

[49] Giovinco missed out on Juventus's 2013 Supercoppa Italiana victory, and he initially went scoreless in the 2013–14 season until finally netting a notable goal in a 3–2 win over rivals Milan on 6 October 2013.

[56] On 2 February, Juventus announced that Giovinco had left the club five months earlier than originally expected in order to kick-start his career in MLS with Toronto FC.

[64] After scoring and assisting in a 2–1 home win over Philadelphia Union on 18 July 2015,[65] Giovinco was one of the 22 players to be named to the 2015 MLS All-Star Game roster,[66] although he was later ruled out of the match due to injury, and replaced by his teammate Altidore.

[90] Giovinco started off his second season with an 82nd-minute penalty in a 2–0 away win over Supporters' Shield holders New York Red Bulls, on 6 March; he later also set up Marky Delgado's goal in added time.

[96] On 7 May, Toronto's home opener, he set up rookie Tsubasa Endoh for his first ever MLS goal in a 1–0 win over FC Dallas, at the newly renovated BMO Field.

[97] On 14 May, Giovinco overtook De Rosario as the club's outright all-time top scorer in the MLS, scoring two goals and setting up another in a 4–3 home defeat to Canadian rivals Vancouver.

He was eventually substituted for Tosaint Ricketts in the 103rd minute, due to an apparent injury, and consequently, despite being the club's main penalty kick taker, was not used in the resulting shoot-out, which Toronto FC lost 5–4, following a 0–0 draw after extra-time.

"[116][117][118] The arrival of Spanish playmaker Victor Vázquez in midfield at the beginning of the 2017 season saw less responsibility placed on Giovinco and captain Michael Bradley to create Toronto FC's goalscoring opportunities, and this in turn freed up the Italian, enabling him to focus more on his attacking game.

[119] Coach Greg Vanney also switched tactics from a 4–4–2 diamond to a 3–5–2 formation, benefiting Giovinco's and Altidore's attacking partnership by allowing them to play closer together, and with Vázquez supporting them as the team's main creator, the attacking duo began to demonstrate a deeper understanding and an increased awareness of each other's movements, which improved their link-up play, and saw an increase in Altidore's goalscoring output throughout the season.

[124][125][126] While Giovinco was ruled out on injury, Toronto FC won the Supporters' Shield for most points in the league that season, following a 4–2 home win over New York Red Bulls on 30 September.

[129] On 30 October, in the first leg of the Eastern Conference Semi-finals in the 2017 MLS Cup Playoffs, Giovinco scored the match-winning goal from a free kick in a 2–1 away win over New York Red Bulls.

[138] On 7 March, in the first leg of the CONCACAF Champions League quarter-finals, Giovinco set up Jonathan Osorio in the last minute of regulation time to give Toronto FC a 2–1 home win against Mexican side Tigres UANL.

[144][145][146] On 16 May, Giovinco was fined an undisclosed amount by the MLS Disciplinary Committee for failing to leave the field in a timely and orderly manner after receiving a red card in a league loss away to the New England Revolution on 12 May.

[148][149] Reigning MLS Cup champions Toronto FC failed to qualify for the playoffs after a 2–1 home loss against the Vancouver Whitecaps on 6 October 2018, with three games left to play in the season.

[151] After negotiations with Toronto fell through during the off-season, on 30 January 2019, Giovinco bid the club farewell with a post on Instagram: "As I have always maintained, I was hoping to renew my contract and finish my playing career in a city that feels like home...

[160] In the second leg, on 22 October, he set up Bafétimbi Gomis's goal in a 4–2 home defeat, which saw Al Hilal advance to the final of the competition 6–5 on aggregate.

[163] Giovinco started in the FIFA Club World Cup third-place play-off against Monterrey on 21 December; following a 2–2 draw after regulation time, he scored Al Hilal's second spot kick in the resulting shoot-out, although the former side ultimately won the match 4–3 on penalties.

He was called up to the Italy under-21 side by head coach Pierluigi Casiraghi to make his U21 debut in the 2009 European Championship opening qualifier on 1 June 2007, and helped in their 4–0 defeat of Albania.

[168][169] Giovinco also played at the 2008 Toulon Tournament, where he appeared in all five matches, and was voted the most valuable player of the competition, scoring two goals in the opening game against the Ivory Coast,[170] and netting the winning penalty in the semi-final shoot-out against Japan.

[181] After some promising substitute appearances, manager Cesare Prandelli stated that he would give Giovinco his full international debut as a starter alongside Antonio Cassano,[182] which came later that year on 11 October, in a 3–0 home win over Northern Ireland in a European qualifier.

[188] Giovinco started in the first game of Italy's 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign against Bulgaria in Sofia, wearing the number 10 jersey;[189] the match ended in a 2–2 draw.

[198] He was ultimately ruled out of both matches after sustaining an adductor injury against Montreal Impact,[199] and New York City FC's Andrea Pirlo became the first MLS player to play for Italy, during the same qualifiers.

[201] He made a substitute appearance in Italy's 3–1 away win over Azerbaijan, which guaranteed the Italians a place at Euro 2016; he came on in the 79th minute and later hit the cross-bar from a free kick after being fouled by Badavi Guseynov, who was subsequently sent off.

Regarding their omission, Conte commented in a press conference, "When you make a certain choice and go to play in certain leagues, you do so taking it into account that they could pay the consequences from a footballing viewpoint".

[220][221] Due to his short stature, dynamic abilities and pace, Giovinco acquired the nickname formica atomica ("atomic ant", after the eponymous Hanna-Barbera character) in his youth.

[224][225][226] Although Giovinco was considered to be one of the most promising and talented upcoming players in Italian football in his youth, he was initially criticised in the Italian media for failing to live up to his potential, in particular after moving to the MLS in the prime years of his career; several of his club's managers also left him out of the first team due to his diminutive size, as they felt he was too small and light to succeed at the highest levels of European football against more physical defenders.