Fortunato started his first season with Juventus strongly, and soon became known for his endless running along the flank and his fine left foot, which he would use to provide accurate crosses for the likes of forwards Roberto Baggio, Fabrizio Ravanelli, and Gianluca Vialli. His most important attribute was that he loved being a team player, both on and off the pitch. His charm and great personality won the hearts of many, so much so that former Italy coach Arrigo Sacchi described him as "a revelation of Italian football", and called the Juventus star to make his one and only international appearance in a World Cup qualifier against Estonia, on 22 September 1993, in Tallinn. Fortunato took Paolo Maldini's place and played alongside veteran and national team captain Franco Baresi in a game that Italy won 3–0. The left-back showed striking similarities to Maldini and he was initially even in Sacchi's plans for the 1994 FIFA World Cup.