Italy World Cup Legend Salvatore Schillaci Dies at 59 After Battle with Cancer #italy #football

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Former Italy forward Salvatore "Toto" Schillaci has died aged 59, the Palermo hospital where he was being treated for colon cancer said a statement on Wednesday.
Schillaci rose to international fame at the 1990 World Cup in Italy, where he starred for the Azzurri, scoring six goals to win the golden boot.
Italy went on to finish third in the tournament, but Schillaci's personal efforts were rewarded, beating Lothar Matthäus and Diego Maradona to win the golden ball as the tournament's best player.
He would go on to score just one more goal for the national side, against Norway the following year.
Born in Palermo, Schillaci also enjoyed success at club level for a number of Italian clubs, most notably with Juventus and Inter Milan.
World Cup legend Salvatore 'Toto' Schillaci has died, aged 59, after a battle with colon cancer.
The Italian icon, who lit up the nation's home World Cup in 1990, played for Juventus and Inter in a glittering career spanning 384 matches, scoring 159 goals.
The most famous of these came during that iconic summer where Schillaci went from relative unknown to regular starter in a competitive Azzurri squad.
He ended the tournament clutching the Golden Boot award, having struck six times for Italy, as well as the Player of the Tournament trophy.
The agile striker, who came second in that year's Ballon d'Or, then struggled for form at his club sides, scoring just eight goals in 42 matches for Juventus the following season.
The Italian icon, who lit up the nation's home World Cup in 1990, played for Juventus and Inter in a glittering career spanning 384 matches, scoring 159 goals.
The death of the former Messina, Juventus and Inter Milan forward, who was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2022, was confirmed on Wednesday morning by the Italian football federation.
Schillaci's domestic form for Juve in the 1989-90 season earned him a place in Italy's squad for the 1990 finals, even though he started the tournament with just one cap to his name.
However, he finished as the tournament's top goalscorer with six, as the hosts made it through to the semi-final before losing on penalties to Argentina.
Juventus were among Italy's football clubs to pay tribute to Schillaci, who became an icon for his unexpected goalscoring exploits at his country's home World Cup, simply saying "Ciao Toto" on social media with a picture of him in a Juve shirt.
Italian media report that Schillaci died at Palermo's "Civico" hospital after suffering from bowel cancer.
The country's football federation (FIGC) said that all matches played in Italy between now and the end of the coming weekend would have a "minute of reflection" before kick-off.
Italian icon Salvatore Schillaci, the top scorer at the 1990 World Cup, has died aged 59.
Schillaci, better known as 'Toto', scored six goals to win the Golden Boot at the 1990 World Cup on home soil.
Italy lost in the semi-finals, but Schillaci was also awarded the Golden Ball as the best player and gained hero status.
Schillaci was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2022.
Capped 16 times for his country, scoring seven goals, he represented Italian giants Juventus and Inter Milan after beginning his club career at Messina.
Juventus, whom Schillaci joined in 1989, said: "We immediately fell in love with Toto. His desire, his story, his being so wonderfully passionate, and it showed in every game he played.
ITALIAN football legend Salvatore Schillaci has passed away at the age of 59.
The World Cup Golden Boot winner, affectionately known as "Toto", had been battling colon cancer since 2022.
Legendary Italian striker Salvatore Schillaci has died.
In a glittering career Schillaci played for Juventus and Inter Milan as well as the Italian national team.
From Palermo, he began his career with Sicilian club Messina and finished with Japanese side Júbilo Iwata.
He famously scooped the Golden Boot at the 1990 World Cup, scoring six times in the tournament, breaking Irish hearts with the winner in the quarter-final in Rome.
Italia ‘90 star Salvatore ‘Totò’ Schillaci has sadly passed away at the age of 59 following a brave battle with colon cancer, reports confirm on Wednesday morning.