The football world bids farewell to the legend of AC Milan and the Italian national team, with Gianni Rivera emphasizing that Baresi was the best defender Italy has ever had.
The football world mourns Franco Baresi, the legendary captain of AC Milan and the Italian national team, who passed away on July 31, 2026, at the age of 66 after months of illness. AC Milan announced the news of his death on social media platform X at 7:31 AM, and since then, tributes have poured in from numerous football greats, institutions, and media outlets. Notably, Gianni Rivera, another legend of the San Siro club, declared Baresi the greatest defender in Italian history.
According to Goal.com, Rivera, in his remembrance of the late captain, also touched upon the perennial question of the Ballon d'Or. "Baresi debuted very young, like me, albeit in a different role. Franco exceptionally established himself as a top-tier player in his position. Did he deserve the Ballon d'Or? I don't know the criteria from those years, but he was the greatest defender Italy has ever had," Rivera told Goal.com.
This statement from one of the club's greatest icons further cements Baresi's status, whose performances defined an era of Italian football and shaped the art of defending. His playing style, though not physically imposing at 5 feet 9 inches, was based on impeccable reading of the game and zonal marking perfected under coach Nils Liedholm. As The Guardian Sport reports, Baresi, at just 19 years old in 1979, won his first scudetto with Milan, setting the standard for future generations of defenders.
His longtime teammate Paolo Maldini was particularly emotional. "Ciao Franco, today I feel the same feeling as when, for any reason, you couldn't take the field with us: how will we manage without our captain?" Maldini said, as reported by ANSA. "You taught me to fight to the last breath, what it means to be devoted to the shirt and the value of a true leader. You did it by example, every day: few words, but many deeds. You protected me when I was a child, guided me as a young man, and inspired me as a man. You were the strongest player I ever had the honor to play with. We will miss you, captain. But the light of your star will continue to guide us forever."
Tributes also came from other former Milan players. Pietropaolo Virdis told ANSA that "no one was ever above him," while Filippo Galli added that Baresi "will forever remain the captain." Andriy Shevchenko remembered him as "a wonderful person," and Clarence Seedorf as "a legend and an inspiration for generations."
The news of his death shook not only the football world. Clubs like Real Madrid and Barcelona, UEFA, and numerous politicians expressed their condolences. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni stated that "Italy loses not only one of the greatest champions in its sporting history but also an example of loyalty, seriousness, and dedication." Giovanni Malagò, President of the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI), highlighted that Baresi "wore only two shirts throughout his career: Milan's and the national team's."
Italy's Minister of Sport, Andrea Abodi, bid farewell with these words: "Today you leave the 'field' once again with your head held high, leaving us in tears, just as happened to you in the World Cup final in America in 1994." AC Milan owner Gerry Cardinale emphasized Baresi's lasting legacy: "For generations, Franco embodied the values, character, and excellence that define this club. Even in his final year, as he faced his greatest challenge, he was always with Milan, quietly reminding us what it means to represent these colors."
Despite his illness, Baresi recently carried the Olympic torch at the San Siro stadium during the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Milan and Cortina 2026. The news of his death hits even harder for those who had hoped for his recovery after he underwent surgery about a year ago to remove a lung nodule.
A private commemoration for family and close friends will be held in his hometown of Travagliato, where three days of mourning have been declared. The final farewell to the eternal captain will take place on Tuesday at the Basilica of Sant'Ambrogio in Milan. The international press, from France's L'Equipe, which called him a "forerunner," to Britain's The Guardian, for which he was the "moral conscience" of the great Milan, is unanimous in its assessment that one of the greatest figures in football history has passed away.
