[6] At the international level, Schillaci was the surprise star of the 1990 FIFA World Cup, as he helped Italy to a third-place finish on home soil.

[11] Juventus, the "Old Lady" of Italian football, was at the time suffering from the breakup of the wonder team which dominated Italian football in the 1980s, under manager Giovanni Trapattoni; Schillaci's arrival coincided with a return to form under the direction of former legendary Juventus goalkeeper Dino Zoff.

He featured prominently for the Turinese club that season, scoring 15 league goals and 21 in all competitions in a very positive year, which ended with Juventus winning both the 1989–90 Coppa Italia and the UEFA Cup titles.

[4][6][10] After the end of the 1990 World Cup, Schillaci played two more years for Juventus, alongside his Italy attacking team-mate Roberto Baggio, before joining Internazionale.

[12] Schillaci ultimately fell short of the expectations of the Inter fans, as well as those of Juventus, mainly because of the physical troubles which he suffered after the 1990 campaign.

[21] For the semi-final match against defending champions Argentina, Gianluca Vialli replaced Baggio in the starting line-up, whereas Schillaci kept his place in the team.

A prolific, reliable, and opportunistic goalscorer, Schillaci was known in particular for his anticipation, reactions, and his excellent positional sense, which, along with his acceleration, enabled him to make attacking runs to beat opponents to the ball in the area, giving him the reputation for frequently being "in the right place at the right time".

[38] Inter Milan led the tributes to Schillaci stating "He made an entire nation dream during the Magic Nights of Italia 90".