Italy's 1990 World Cup star Salvatore 'Toto' Schillaci dies at 59

Salvatore "Toto" Schillaci, Italy’s standout player from the 1990 FIFA World Cup, passed away at the age of 59 after battling bowel cancer. Schillaci’s former clubs, Juventus and Inter Milan, confirmed his death on Wednesday. Known for his remarkable performance in Italy’s home World Cup, Schillaci won the Golden Boot after scoring six goals, leading Italy to a third-place finish.

“A football icon is leaving us, a man who has entered the hearts of Italians and sports fans around the world,” Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni wrote on X. Juventus also paid tribute, stating, “We immediately fell in love with Toto... We at Juve were lucky enough to get excited about him before, in that incredible summer of 1990, the whole of Italy did.” Schillaci’s exuberant goal celebrations became a symbol of Italy’s tournament run, which ended in a semifinal loss to Argentina.

Schillaci began the 1990 tournament as a substitute but soon became Italy’s key player, scoring the winning goal in their opening match against Austria. Despite his fame from the World Cup, Schillaci only scored one more goal for the national team and retired from international football shortly after. His club career saw him win the Coppa Italia and UEFA Cup with Juventus, followed by another UEFA Cup title with Inter Milan.

Serie A President Lorenzo Casini honored Schillaci’s legacy, saying, “He was a champion who lit up the ‘magic nights’ of Italia ’90.” Schillaci later became the first Italian player in Japan’s J-League, where he won a title with Jubilo Iwata in 1997 before retiring in 1999.