Former Italy striker Salvatore “Toto” Schillaci, renowned for being the top scorer at the 1990 World Cup, passed away on Wednesday at the age of 59.
Juventus, one of Italy’s prominent football clubs, paid tribute to Schillaci, who became an icon with his unexpected goal-scoring feats during the home World Cup. They shared a heartfelt message on social media, saying, “Ciao Toto,” alongside a photo of him in a Juve shirt.
Italian media report that Schillaci died at Palermo’s “Civico” hospital after battling bowel cancer. The Italian football federation (FIGC) announced that all matches played in Italy until the end of the upcoming weekend would include a “minute of reflection” before kick-off.
“His goal celebrations, which captured a collective joy, will forever remain a part of Italian football heritage,” said FIGC chief Gabriele Gravina in a statement.
Schillaci began his career in the early 1980s at Messina before playing for Juventus and Inter Milan, achieving modest success in club football. His standout season came just before the 1990 World Cup, when he scored 21 goals as Juventus clinched both the UEFA Cup and the Italian Cup.
However, it was during the summer of 1990 that he became a national hero, netting six goals as Italy reached the semi-finals of the tournament. “At Juve, we were fortunate to witness his talent before he captured the hearts of all of Italy that incredible summer,” said Juventus. “Goodbye, Toto. Thank you.”
Schillaci won the Golden Boot as the tournament’s top scorer and the Golden Ball as the best player, outshining stars like Lothar Matthäus and Diego Maradona, the latter of whom led West Germany to victory.
Italy was eliminated in the semi-finals by Argentina in a penalty shootout, with Napoli legend Maradona playing a pivotal role in that match in Naples.
Capped 16 times for Italy, Schillaci scored only one additional goal for his country. Four years after the 1990 World Cup, he left Inter for Jubilo Iwata in Japan, where he concluded his career
