Franco Baresi, AC Milan and Italy legend, dies at 66

Franco Baresi, the AC Milan and Italy great, has died at the age of 66. His former club announced the news with a tribute, writing that his "example and integrity will be forever etched into the club's DNA." Baresi spent his entire 20-year playing career at Milan, from 1977 to 1997, winning six Serie A titles, three European Cups/Champions Leagues, four Supercoppa Italianas, two European Super Cups and the Intercontinental Cup twice. Few defenders in football history were more respected. He captained Milan for 15 seasons, making 719 appearances and scoring 33 goals. For Italy, Baresi earned 81 caps and was part of the squad that won the 1982 World Cup. He was captain in the 1994 final, the first World Cup final to be decided by a shootout, after returning from a knee injury to help keep Brazil's Romario and Bebeto quiet in a 0-0 draw. Baresi missed Italy's first penalty, and Brazil won 3-2. Milan said in a statement on X: "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." In a follow-up message, the club said everyone at the club and all the Milanisti must live up to Baresi's memory, adding: "Because Baresi is forever." Maldini, 58, who also spent his entire career at Milan, paid tribute on Instagram: "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 were the greatest footballer I ever had the honour of playing with." Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said Baresi was "not only one of the greatest champions in Italian sports history, but also an example of loyalty, seriousness, and dedication." Giovanni Malago, head of the Italian football federation, praised Baresi for the "romantic choice" of staying loyal to Milan. Baresi became Milan's honorary vice-president in 2020, and the club retired his number six shirt four years later. He had surgery in August 2025 to remove a lung nodule, and his last public appearance was at San Siro Stadium for the Winter Olympics opening ceremony in February.