Franco Baresi, a former AC Milan legend who helped outline Italian soccer within the Nineteen Eighties and ’90s, has died on the age of 66.
No explanation for dying has been revealed.
Baresi underwent surgical procedure in August 2025 to take away a pulmonary nodule and start a course of immunotherapy.
AC Milan star Franco Baresi in 1994. Motion Pictures
The defender’s final public look was on the opening ceremony for the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics in February, the place he carried the torch into the San Siro – the stadium he used to play in.
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“Your entire historical past of AC Milan is in tears,” Milan mentioned in a press release Friday.
“His instance and integrity will stay endlessly embedded within the membership’s DNA, identical to his iconic quantity 6 shirt. The condolences that AC Milan prolong to the household of Franco Baresi on this tough time are shared by each Rossonero, who feels this loss as their very own.”
Turning into one in all soccer’s most iconic centre backs, Baresi performed for Milan for 20 years, profitable three European Cups and 6 Serie A titles.
After making his debut in 1978 at simply 17, Baresi even selected to stay with Milan after it was relegated to Serie B for the second time in three seasons.
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General, he revamped 700 appearances for AC Milan, propelling it to international dominance within the late Nineteen Eighties and early Nineteen Nineties.
Franco Baresi holds up the European Supercup trophy. John Sibley
He additionally received the 1982 World Cup with Italy and helped the nation to a second-place end in 1994.
AC Milan retired Baresi’s No. 6 jersey and held a celebration match to honor him, that includes a number of stars he performed with and towards.
An AC Milan fan takes footage of flowers and of a shirt of former captain Franco Baresi at Casa Milan, following his dying on the age of 66, in Milan, Italy on July 31, 2026. REUTERS
“Everybody on the membership and all of the Milanisti should stay as much as Franco Baresi’s reminiscence,” AC Milan added. “We have to be sturdy and collect each little bit of vitality, even at this saddest of instances.”
