Franco Baresi, the iconic AC Milan and Italy defender regarded as one of the finest in football history, has died at the age of 66 after a year-long battle with illness.
Baresi passed away at the Humanitas hospital in Rozzano, near Milan, where he had been receiving treatment following surgery to remove a pulmonary nodule. The operation marked the start of a gradual withdrawal from public life.
AC Milan, the only club he represented in his 20-year professional career, were the first to confirm his death, describing the news as a profound loss for the club and its supporters.
“The entire history of AC Milan mourns the passing of Franco Baresi. His example and integrity will remain forever engraved in the club’s DNA, just as his legendary number 6 shirt will,” read a club statement.
“The AC Milan family offers its deepest condolences to the Baresi family in this difficult moment, feelings shared by all Rossoneri fans who feel this loss as if it were their own,” the statement added.
Recognised as one of the game’s greatest defenders
Baresi is widely viewed as one of the greatest defenders of all time, his reputation transcending club and country to make him a global symbol of the sport. He captained both AC Milan and Italy and became synonymous with the art of defending during an era in which Italian football dominated Europe.
After his retirement in 1997, Milan permanently withdrew the number 6 shirt in his honour, underlining the bond between player and club. The gesture followed a period of unprecedented success in which Baresi helped Milan win three European Cups – now the Champions League – in 1989, 1990 and 1994, as well as two Intercontinental Cups.
He served in later years as an honorary vice-president at Milan, remaining closely associated with the club’s identity and values.
Unique World Cup record with Italy
On the international stage, Baresi enjoyed a World Cup career unmatched in the competition’s history. He was part of the Italy squad that won the 1982 World Cup in Spain, and is still the only player ever to have finished first, second and third at the tournament.
Italy claimed the trophy in 1982, finished third as hosts at Italia 1990, and were runners-up at USA 1994, with Baresi a central figure across that era. His World Cup triumph in 1982 is often cited as the crowning achievement of a career rich in honours at both club and international level.
In total, Baresi won 81 caps for Italy, anchoring the national side’s defence over more than a decade.
Two decades in Milan colours
Baresi’s professional career ran from 1977 to 1997, all of it spent with AC Milan. Over those 20 years he made 719 appearances for the Rossoneri, becoming a defining figure in one of the club’s most successful periods.
His honours with Milan included six Serie A titles and four Italian Super Cups, complementing his three European Cup wins. On the continental stage he also lifted the UEFA Super Cup twice, while globally he added two Intercontinental Cups to his collection.
Those achievements, combined with the World Cup victory of 1982, cemented a legacy that extended beyond statistics and trophies. For many Milan and Italy supporters, the image of Baresi in the number 6 shirt came to embody an entire footballing philosophy built on leadership, discipline and tactical intelligence.
Last public appearance at San Siro
Baresi’s final major public appearance came in February this year, when he carried the Olympic torch into San Siro alongside fellow Italian great Giuseppe Bergomi, as part of the build-up to the Winter Olympic Games.
The occasion offered a last glimpse of a figure whose career had long been intertwined with the stadium, the city and the club he represented.
Mourning in Italy and across the wider football community is expected to focus not only on Baresi’s achievements, but also on the influence he exerted on generations of defenders who followed him, and on the standards he set as a captain for both Milan and the Azzurri.
