In brief
AC Milan’s legendary defender Franco Baresi, who captained the club for 15 seasons, has died at 66 after a battle with lung disease. The iconic Italian played his entire 20‑year career at Milan, winning six Serie A titles and three European Cups. Baresi was capped 81 times for Italy and helped the national side lift the 1982 World Cup trophy. He was made honorary vice‑president of the club and his number six shirt was retired in 2024. The San Siro stadium marked his last public appearance during the Winter Olympics opening ceremony in February.
Franco Baresi’s death at 66 marks the end of an era for Italian football and AC Milan. He spent his entire 20‑year career with the club from 1977 to 1997, defending the league and the European stage with equal intensity.
Baresi’s leadership earned six Serie A championships and three Champions League triumphs. The defender made 719 appearances for Milan and scored 33 goals, a rare feat for a player in his position.
On the international stage he earned 81 caps for Italy, being part of the squad that lifted the 1982 World Cup and playing in the 1994 final, a defeat to Brazil. His influence on the national side is still felt today.
In recognition of his commitment, AC Milan honoured Baresi in 2020 as honorary vice‑president and retired his famous number six shirt in 2024. The club’s electronic statement on X read that Milan was “in tears following the passing of Franco Baresi” and that his legacy would remain “forever etched into the club’s DNA.”
Baresi underwent lung surgery in August 2025 to remove a nodule. His last public appearance was at the Winter Olympics opening ceremony in February, where he was seen standing at the San Siro ground, a symbolic nod to a club that shaped his life.
