World Cup’s 101 Most Memorable Moments: Totò Schillaci surprises Italy

By Doug McIntyre
FOX Sports Soccer Writer

Editor’s note: Each day between now and the kickoff of the first match of the 2022 FIFA World Cup on Nov. 20, we’ll unveil a different memory from World Cup history. The countdown from 101 continues with Salvatore Schillaci’s surprise Golden Boot campaign.

It was a surprise that Salvatore “Totò” Schillaci was even on Italy’s roster in 1990.

Before the World Cup on Schillaci’s home soil, the scrappy Juventus forward had made just a single appearance for the famed, three time champion Azzurri, just three months before the tournament.

Azeglio Vicini named him to his 22-man squad anyway. And while that decision was second-guessed at the time, it’s now regarded as a masterstroke: despite not starting the hosts’ first two games, Schillaci scored six times — with four goals in four games during the knockout stage — to become one of the unlikeliest Golden Boot winners of all time.

The out-of-nowhere performance wasn’t enough to lead Italy to its fourth title, though, and Schillaci’s hot streak ended along with the tournament — he scored just one more international goal in the rest of his career.

One of the leading soccer journalists in North America, Doug McIntyre has covered United States men’s and women’s national teams at multiple FIFA World Cups. Before joining FOX Sports in 2021, he was a staff writer with ESPN and Yahoo Sports. Follow him on Twitter @ByDougMcIntyre.