The footballer scored six goals in the World Cup, which took place in Italy, and in which the Nazionale took third place.
:quality(50)/2023/07/06/64a68815cd1a7_placeholder-36b69ec8.png)
Published
Reading time: 1 min
:quality(50)/2024/09/18/000-su0bh-66ea9fcb7f14f682913996.jpg)
Italy has lost one of its glories. Former Italian international Salvatore Schillaci, known by his nickname Toto, has died at the age of 59, the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) announced on Wednesday. “He made an entire country dream during the magical nights of the 1990 World Cup. Inter Milan stands by the Schillaci family after the death of Toto”said the reigning Italian champion in the press release, whose jersey Schillaci wore between 1992 and 1994.
Ha fatto sognare una nazione intera during the Notti Magiche di Italia ’90 🇮🇹💙
FC Internazionale Milano si stringe intorno alla famiglia Schillaci per la scomparsa di Totò.#FCIM pic.twitter.com/PtxE7zWHod
— Inter ⭐⭐ (@Inter) September 18, 2024
He had been suffering from colon cancer for several months and had been hospitalised in intensive care last week. The striker entered the legend of Italian football during the 1990 World Cup, held on home soil. He finished top scorer in the competition with six goals. The Nazionale reached the semi-finals where, in Naples, they were eliminated by Diego Maradona’s Argentina on penalties (1-1 aet, 4 pens to 3). The striker opened the scoring in that match. He scored again in the match for third place.
He made his 17th and final appearance for the Nazionale, scoring seven goals, in 1991. In addition to Inter Milan, he also played for Juventus (1989-92), with whom he won the 1990 UEFA Cup, the pocket-sized forward (1.73 m). He ended his career in Japan in 1997.