Baresi, the Milan and Italy defender widely regarded as one of the finest centre-backs in the history of the game, has passed away at the age of 66.
Baresi had been unwell for some time, having undergone surgery in August 2025 to remove a nodule from his lung after it was discovered during a routine check-up. His last public appearance came earlier this year as a torchbearer at the opening ceremony of the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, an occasion he was said to have made historic despite appearing visibly tired.
AC Milan announced the news through its official channels.
"The history of Milan is in tears at the loss of Franco Baresi. His example and his depth will forever, like his number 6 shirt, be an integral and fundamental part of the Club's DNA and its journey. The condolences that AC Milan extends to Franco Baresi's whole family are the same that every Rossoneri fan offers to themselves at such a difficult hour," the club's statement read.
It continued: "It isn't easy to announce the loss of one of our heartbeats, one of the breaths of our soul. But all of Milan and every Milanista must try to live up to Franco Baresi — we need to find strength and gather every ounce of useful energy, even through the tears and the emotion of a moment that weighs so heavily. Franco has left us, after giving us, only a few months ago, one last great, proud image of himself in a packed stadium, connected to the whole world, for an opening ceremony of the Milan Winter Olympics that he made historic.
"We embrace, all together, the enormous memory of Franco, knowing he will always hold our hand, and that he will give us extra motivation for every moment of our Rossoneri lives. Forever. Because Baresi is forever."
Baresi spent his entire twenty-season playing career at Milan, from 1977 to his retirement in 1997, wearing the captain's armband for fifteen of those seasons after taking it on at just 22 years old. He won six Serie A titles, three European Cups, two Intercontinental Cups, two UEFA Super Cups and four Italian Super Cups in Rossoneri colours, and the club retired his number 6 shirt in his honour after he hung up his boots.
He had served as the club's honorary vice-president since 2020 and celebrated 50 years with the club in 2024. With the Italy national team, for whom he played for thirteen years and captained between 1991 and 1994, Baresi won the 1982 World Cup, was a losing finalist in 1994 and reached the semi-finals in 1990, also featuring at the 1980 and 1988 European Championships. He made 81 appearances for the Azzurri, scoring once.
The Italian football federation paid tribute through a joint statement from its leadership.
"FIGC president Giovanni Malagò, technical director and Club Italia president Claudio Ranieri and head coach Roberto Mancini mourn the loss of Franco Baresi, among the greatest Italian footballers of all time, who passed away today at the age of 66. A seven-time Ballon d'Or nominee, finishing runner-up in 1989 behind Marco van Basten, the former Milan and national team defender ranks 33rd on the IFFHS list of the best footballers of the twentieth century. He has also been part of the Italian Football Hall of Fame since 2013," the statement read.
Malagò added his own words: "Italian football loses one of its legends, an extraordinary champion who throughout his entire career wore only two shirts, that of Milan and that of the Azzurri. A romantic choice, one that earned him a rightful place in the hearts of fans and of millions of Italians. We will remember him as he deserves at the national team's upcoming matches, the national team for which he always showed exceptional devotion, becoming one of its most glorious symbols."
Among the tributes from those who knew Baresi best was one from Filippo Galli, his Milan teammate from 1981 to 1996, a period across which the pair won every major honour together. Writing on Instagram, Galli offered a personal farewell to his former captain.
"You left in silence, that silence, all your own, which was a loud voice in the dressing room, in team meetings, in the dining hall, on the training pitch at Milanello just as in every stadium, including the 'Scala del calcio' where the whole Rossoneri fanbase admired you. The greatness of a man, the stature of a player — he would have deserved the Ballon d'Or — lies in the example you were for all of us.
"I won't add anything else. It would all be superfluous and would diminish the value of the person and the player you were. The pain and the tears, yes, allow me those. Thank you for everything, Franco. FOREVER OUR CAPTAIN. Rest in peace. A hug to your wife Maura, to your children Edoardo and Giannandrea, to your sisters Lucia and Emanuela, to your brothers Angelo and Beppe."