Italy World Cup winner and AC Milan legend Franco Baresi dies aged 66

Italian football mourns the loss of Franco Baresi, one of the sport's most accomplished defenders and a symbol of institutional loyalty. The AC Milan legend passed away at 66, with his death announced Friday by the club where he spent his complete 20-year professional career. Baresi had undergone surgery in August 2025 to remove a pulmonary nodule and subsequently began immunotherapy treatment. His final public appearance occurred in February at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics opening ceremony, where he carried the torch alongside former Inter Milan defender Giuseppe Bergomi at the San Siro stadium.

Baresi's career exemplified rare dedication to a single institution. He joined Milan's youth system at age 14 and made his first-team debut at 17 in April 1978. Despite the club's relegation to Serie B in 1982, Baresi remained committed to Milan while simultaneously helping Italy capture the World Cup that summer. He received the captaincy at just 22 years old and led the Rossoneri through their period of continental dominance in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Over his career, Baresi accumulated more than 700 appearances for Milan.

Baresi's trophy collection reflected his era's competitive excellence. With Milan, he won three Champions League titles, six Serie A championships, two Intercontinental Cups, three European Supercups, and four Italian Supercups. Beyond his 1982 World Cup victory, Baresi reached the 1994 World Cup final with Italy, though he missed a penalty in the shootout defeat to Brazil. In 1989, he finished runner-up to teammate Marco van Basten for the Ballon d'Or award. Upon his retirement in 1997, Milan retired his number 6 jersey in his honor. Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni acknowledged Baresi's passing as a loss not only of a sporting champion but of an exemplar of loyalty and professionalism.