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Former Italy and Juventus striker Salvatore “Toto” Schillaci has died at age 59 after battling bowel cancer.
Schillaci led Italy to a third-place finish in the 1990 FIFA World Cup, scoring six goals and winning the Golden Boot.
His passionate celebrations, wide-eyed and full of emotion, became an iconic image of the tournament.
Schillaci’s standout performances included crucial goals in the semifinal against Argentina and the third-place victory over England.
After starting as a substitute in Italy’s opening game, Schillaci quickly became a national hero, scoring the winning goal against Austria and continuing his form throughout the tournament.
Although Italy were eliminated by Argentina in the semifinals, Schillaci was awarded the Golden Ball as the tournament’s best player and finished runner-up for the 1990 Ballon d’Or, behind Lothar Matthaus of West Germany.
Schillaci’s professional career began in the lower leagues with Messina before earning a move to Serie A with Juventus, where he won the Coppa Italia and UEFA Cup in 1989-90.
He later joined Inter Milan, winning another UEFA Cup.
Schillaci became the first Italian to play in Japan’s J League, winning the title with Jubilo Iwata in 1997, before retiring in 1999.
Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Serie A President Lorenzo Casini paid tribute, with Meloni calling Schillaci a “football icon” who made Italians dream during the “magic nights” of Italia ’90.
This article was updated 5 days ago
