Italian defender and AC Milan legend Franco Baresi, one of the best players in the history of soccer, passed away on Thursday morning at 66 years old, the Rossoneri have announced. Baresi, who spent his whole career playing for AC Milan, making his debut in 1977, retired in 1997 after winning six Serie A titles and three Champions League trophies as captain of the club, playing 719 games and scoring 33 goals. He also lifted four Supercoppa Italianas, two European Super Cups and the Intercontinental Cup twice. He was capped 81 times for Italy and was part of the 1982 World Cup squad that won the tournament, but 1994 remained as one of the most remarkable moments of his career.
After suffering an injury and turning his meniscus in the second match of the World Cup, he underwent surgery during the tournament before making his comeback in the 1994 final against Brazil, establishing one of the most incredible comebacks in the history of the sport. Despite missing a key penalty in the final loss, the individual performance against players such Bebeto and Romario is still considered as one of the most impressive moments in the game. AC Milan retired his jersey, number six, after he retired from professional soccer.
Baresi had surgery in 2025 to remove a lung nodule, and his last public appearance was at the San Siro in Milan, his former home stadium, where he carried the Olympic flame alongside his former Inter rival and friend Beppe Bergomi while Italian singer Andrea Bocelli was singing "Nessun dorma" at the Winter Olympics opening ceremony in February.
La Storia del Milan è in lacrime per la scomparsa di Franco Baresi. Il suo esempio e la sua profondità saranno, per sempre come la sua maglia numero 6, parte integrante e fondamentale del DNA e del cammino di tutto il Club. Le condoglianze che AC Milan porge alla famiglia tutta… pic.twitter.com/a8wNOCUc2o
— AC Milan (@acmilan) July 31, 2026
AC Milan wrote on their official website announcing his passing, stating, "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. Announcing the loss of someone who embodied the heart and soul of AC Milan is incredibly difficult. But everyone at the club and all the Milanisti must live up to Franco Baresi's memory. In memory of Franco, we stand united, knowing he'll guide and push us throughout our Rossoneri journey. Forever. Because Baresi is forever."
Alongside Alessandro Costacurta, Mauro Tassotti and Paolo Maldini, he formed one of the best defensive rosters of all time. The former AC Milan captain, Maldini, remembered Baresi on his social media channels with a tearful message.
"Today, I feel the same way I did whenever -- for whatever reason - you couldn't take the field alongside us: how will we manage without our captain? You taught me to fight until my very last breath, and showed me the meaning of devotion to the jersey and the true value of leadership," Maldini wrote. "You protected me when I was a child, guided me as a young man, and inspired me as an adult. You were the greatest footballer I ever had the honor of playing with."
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