Italy's legendary striker in football, Paolo Rossi, died at the age of 64, the country's RAI Sport television channel, where Rossi had been working as a pundit, announced Thursday. 

"Such terribly sad news: Paolo Rossi has left us," tweeted RAI Sport presenter Enrico Varriale. "Unforgettable Pablito, who made all of us fall in love in that summer of 1982 and who was a precious and competent work colleague in RAI over recent years."

Rossi's wife, Federica Cappelletti, posted "per sempre," – meaning "forever" on Instagram, accompanying a photo of her and Rossi.

Rossi played for six different clubs in his 14-year-long career and scored 134 goals in 338 games. He won two Serie A titles, one Coppa Italia championship, one European Cup Winners' Cup title, one UEFA Super Cup championship and one European Cup title, all with Juventus. Rossi was also Serie A's top scorer in the 1977-78 season.

The above honors made him a great player, but what truly made him Italy's hero was the FIFA World Cup title brought by his six goals in Spain in 1982.

Though Rossi already proved himself by getting three goals and four assists in the World Cup in Argentina in 1978, many questioned manager Enzo Bearzot's decision of recruiting him to the national team. And they had good reasons to doubt because Rossi was drawn into "1980 Totonero," the match-fixing scandal in Italy in 1980 in Serie A and Serie B in 1980 and was suspended for two years.

You understandably remove your faith from a 24-year-old talented young man who had no game to play in two years when he's on the rise. However, Bearzot overrode all objections to bring Rossi to Spain, a move that saved the Gli Azzurri (The Blues).

Rossi got nothing in the group stage, which was as disappointing as Italy's performance. The team did not achieve even one victory and only managed to enter the next stage because they scored more goals than Cameroon. The second stage was still group competition. Unfortunately, Italy was in the same group with Brazil and Argentina.

Even in today's football world, the Brazilian national team in 1982 were considered legendary with a lineup of Zico, Sócrates, Falcão, Toninho Cerezo and other football greats. Argentina were the defending champions and they had Diego Maradona who made his World Cup debut.

However, Rossi turned the following competitions into his own stage. Italy surprisingly beat Argentina 2-1, and in the game against Brazil, Rossi scored one of the greatest hat tricks in World Cup history, helping Italy come back to upset the mighty opponents 3-2. Italy were in the semifinals.

Having dropped both goals to help his team take down Poland, Italy in the final had to face West Germany, who had striker Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and Toni Schumacher, one of the best goalkeepers in the world.

After a 0-0 first half, Rossi headed Claudio Gentile's cross into Schumacher's goal in the 57th minute, making it 1-0 for Italy. In the end, Italy beat West Germany 3-1, becoming the second team to win the World Cup title three times. Rossi himself became the first player to pocket both the World Cup Golden Ball and the Golden Boot.

Rest in peace, "Pablito."