News of Bahrain
World31 July 20261 min read

Legendary Italian Football Defender Franco Baresi Dies Aged 66

Rome: Legendary Italian football defender Franco Baresi has died at the age of 66, AC Milan announced on Friday. Baresi, who captained the Rossoneri through the 1980s and 1990s, guided the club to three European Cups and six Italian league titles.

Editorial Team Legacy

Published 31 July 2026, 8:00 · Updated 18:15

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Legendary Italian Football Defender Franco Baresi Dies Aged 66

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Rome: Legendary Italian football defender Franco Baresi has died at the age of 66, AC Milan announced on Friday. Baresi, who captained the Rossoneri through the 1980s and 1990s, guided the club to three European Cups and six Italian league titles.

Regarded as one of football's greatest sweepers, he made 719 appearances for Milan before retiring in 1997, forming an iconic defense alongside Paolo Maldini, Mauro Tassotti, and Alessandro Costacurta.

On the international stage, Baresi represented Italy 81 times, winning the World Cup in 1982 and finishing as a runner-up in 1994. He later served as AC Milan's honorary vice-president from 2020 until his death, which came months after undergoing surgery in August 2025 to remove a lung nodule.

AC Milan announced the passing of iconic captain Franco Baresi, a 1982 World Cup winner and 1994 finalist for Italy who led the club to three European Cups and six Italian league titles.

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