Toto Schillaci, the goalscoring hero of Italy‘s home World Cup in 1990, has died at the age of 59.
The former Juventus and Inter striker was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2022 and was hospitalised 11 days ago.
Schillaci won the Golden Boot after scoring six goals on the host nation’s run to the semi-finals at Italia 90 and his wide-eyed celebrations became one of the enduring images of the tournament.
“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 posted on X.
“Salvatore Schillaci, known by everyone as Toto, the striker from the magic nights of Italia ’90 with our national team. Thanks for the emotions you gave us, for having made us dream, celebrate, embrace, and wave our national flag. Bon voyage, champion.”
A diminutive, bustling forward and something of a late developer, Schillaci spent the early years of his career with Messina on the island of Sicily where he was born.
But after finishing as top scorer in Serie B in the 1988-89 season, he earned a move to Italian giants Juventus and international honours followed.
Schillaci came on as a substitute in Italy’s opener at the 1990 World Cup, scoring in a 1-0 win over Austria and he never looked back from there.
Two more followed in the last 16 victory over Uruguay, another in the win over Ireland in the quarter-final and another as Italy drew with Argentina before crashing out on penalties.
His sixth and final goal of the tournament came against Bobby Robson’s England in the third-place play-off.
Schillaci’s heroics earned him runners-up spot in the 1990 Ballon d’Or behind World Cup winning captain Lothar Matthaus of West Germany.
Remarkably he would score just once more for Italy in his career, in a European Championship qualifier against Norway in 1991.
He moved to Inter in 1992, spending two years there before moving to Japanese club Jubilo Iwata.
Gabriele Gravina, the president of the FIGC, said: “His face was a symbol of shared joy (and) will forever remain a common heritage of Italian football.
“Toto was a great footballer, a tenacious symbol of will and redemption, he was able to thrill the Azzurri fans because his football was full of passion. And it was precisely this indomitable spirit that made him appreciated by everyone and will make him immortal.”
Schillaci’s family announced last week he had been admitted to hospital.
Additional reporting by agencies
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