Franco Baresi, the former captain of AC Milan and the Italy national team, has died at the age of 66. [claim:1] The death of the defender was announced by AC Milan through its official social media channels. [claim:2] Fabrizio Romano reported that Baresi passed away this morning. [claim:25]
Born on 8 May 1960, in Travagliato, Italy, Baresi spent his entire 20-year professional football career playing for AC Milan. [claim:3, claim:4] He played for the club from 1977 until his retirement in 1997. [claim:5] During his tenure, Baresi made 719 appearances and scored 33 goals. [claim:22, claim:23]
The entire history of AC Milan is in tears following the passing of Franco Baresi.
Career achievements and defensive legacy
Baresi was a sweeper who redefined his role by combining defensive authority with the ability to launch attacks from deep. [claim:26] He was part of a celebrated defense under managers Arrigo Sacchi and Fabio Capello, playing alongside Paolo Maldini, Alessandro Costacurta, and Mauro Tassotti. [claim:27, claim:29] Under Fabio Capello, the AC Milan defense achieved a 58-match unbeaten run in Serie A. [claim:28]
Serie A championships won with AC Milan
Throughout his time with AC Milan, Baresi won six Serie A titles, three European Cups / UEFA Champions League titles, two Intercontinental Cups, four Italian Super Cups, and two Serie B championships. [claim:6, claim:7, claim:8, claim:9, claim:10] He also won one Mitropa Cup. [claim:11]
International career and recent years
Representing the Italy national team, Baresi earned 81 caps. [claim:12] He was a member of the Italy squad that won the 1982 FIFA World Cup. [claim:13] He later captained Italy to the 1994 World Cup final, a match in which he played the full 120 minutes just 25 days after undergoing knee surgery. [claim:14, claim:16] Italy lost that final to Brazil in a penalty shootout. [claim:15]
Following his playing career, Baresi served as the honorary vice president of AC Milan starting in 2020. [claim:18] In February, he served as a torchbearer for the opening ceremony of the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics alongside Giuseppe Bergomi. [claim:21]
In 2025, Baresi underwent surgery to remove a pulmonary nodule, after which he received immunotherapy treatment. [claim:19, claim:20] AC Milan has not disclosed the official cause of death. [claim:30]