Football fans are grieving over the death of one of their all-time favorites, Salvatore “Totò” Schillaci, who passed away on September 18, 2024, at the age of 59. Schillaci became a national hero for Italy after his incredible performance at the 1990 FIFA World Cup, where he scored six goals that were vital to the team’s third-place finish. His enduring passion and goal celebrations during those “magic nights” in Italy in 1990 turned him into a national hero and a fan favorite.
After battling colon cancer for a number of years, Schillaci was admitted to a Palermo hospital on September 7 and spent his last days there receiving medical attention. With his death, Italian football comes to an end of an era. Players, fans, and public figures have all paid their respects to the man who personified the sport during one of its most iconic periods.
Schillaci’s contributions will always be remembered by the football community, and his story will go down as one of the greatest World Cup tales ever.
