Italian football great Franco Baresi, who captained AC Milan during the club’s dominant spell in the 1980s and 1990s, has died at the age of 66, the club announced on Friday. The legendary defender led Milan to three European Cup titles and six Serie A championships.
Baresi was a key member of Italy‘s 1982 FIFA World Cup-winning squad and later captained the Azzurri to the 1994 World Cup final. Widely regarded as one of the finest sweepers the game has ever seen, he left an enduring legacy in world football.
AC Milan did not disclose the cause of the legendary defender’s death. In August 2025, Baresi underwent surgery to remove a nodule from his lung. “It will take me a little time to get all my strength back,” he had said shortly afterwards.
“Milan is in tears following the passing of Franco Baresi. His example and integrity will be forever etched into the Club’s DNA, just as his iconic number 6 shirt is,” AC Milan, of which Baresi became honorary vice-president in 2020, wrote on X.
“We must be strong and gather every bit of energy, even at this saddest of times.
“We lost Franco only a few months after his last public appearance in a packed San Siro, at the Milan Winter Olympics opening ceremony, an event on the world stage he helped make unforgettable.
“In memory of Franco, we stand united, knowing he’ll guide and push us throughout our Rossoneri journey. Forever. Because Baresi is forever,” the club added.
Franco Baresi’s career
Born in Lombardy in May 1960, Baresi joined AC Milan’s youth teams in 1974, before moving up to the first team in 1978 ahead of his 18th birthday.
He then became a starter at 18 and captain at 22, noticed for his technique, anticipation and tackling skills, as well as his notable leadership qualities. Baresi went on to form, alongside Paolo Maldini, Mauro Tassotti and Alessandro Costacurta, a defence feared by every striker in Europe.
He retired in 1997 after 719 matches with the Rossoneri, a record surpassed only by Maldini. In addition to his red and black club jersey, Baresi wore the blue of the Nazionale 81 times.
But after a World Cup title from the bench in 1982, he did not make the trip to Mexico in 1986 following a disagreement with the national coach. Penalty shootouts in the semi-final of the 1990 World Cup and in the final in 1994 shattered his hopes of another triumph.
He performed various roles for Milan in his retirement; the only time he spent away from them was a brief spell as technical director of English club Fulham. “Ultimately, it was only a month: before the end of August, I was already back in Milan,” he told Gazzetta dello Sport in 2025.
“I realised it wasn’t the place for me, and in the end, I didn’t even start working. The umbilical cord with Milan was never broken.”
However, he was never a man to feature in the gossip pages, preferring to spend time abroad for the Milan Foundation, which he found educational and rewarding.
“With Fondazione Milan, I witnessed poverty in Kenya and Morocco,” he told Gazzetta.
“In Lebanon, I played football in the street with children. These are emotions that have completed me,” he had added.
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