Totò Schillaci, Italy’s goalscoring hero of 1990 World Cup, dies aged 59

Totò Schillaci, the ex-striker from Italy who helped lead his team to a third-place finish in the 1990 World Cup, has passed away at the age of 59.

Schillaci, a former player for teams like Juventus and Inter, was admitted to a hospital in Palermo last week. The following day, the hospital released a statement indicating that he was undergoing treatment to regulate his heart rate. In 2022, he was diagnosed with colon cancer.

Schillaci emerged as the leading goal scorer in the 1990 World Cup held in Italy, netting six goals in total. His impressive tally featured decisive strikes against Austria during the group stage, the Republic of Ireland in the quarter-finals, and England in the match for third place. Additionally, he scored to give his team the lead in a semi-final clash against Argentina, which ultimately ended in a penalty shootout.

Inter released a statement saying, “He inspired a whole country during the magical nights of the 1990 Italia World Cup. FC Internazionale Milan stands united with the Schillaci family as we honor Totò.”

Schillaci began his professional journey at Messina and concluded it in Japan playing for Júbilo Iwata. He managed to score just a single goal for the Italian national team in matches outside of the World Cup, finishing with a total of 16 appearances.