Thousands in Milan Bid Farewell to Legendary Captain
Fans, former teammates, and officials gathered at the Basilica of Sant'Ambrogio to pay their last respects to Franco Baresi, the AC Milan icon who passed away at the age of 66.
Fans, former teammates, and officials gathered at the Basilica of Sant'Ambrogio to pay their last respects to Franco Baresi, the AC Milan icon who passed away at the age of 66.
A sea of people flooded the square in front of Milan's Basilica of Sant'Ambrogio on Tuesday, August 4, 2026, to pay their final respects to the legendary Franco Baresi. The iconic defender and long-time AC Milan captain passed away at the age of 66, and the thousands who gathered turned the city center into a makeshift football stand, complete with smoke bombs, flags, and chants.
The atmosphere, worthy of a football temple, was led by the most passionate fans, who unfurled banners reading "Goodbye, Capitano" and "Ciao Capitano." Flags and scarves bearing the number 6, which Baresi wore on his shirt, waved in the air, and from the stands formed in the square, the chant echoed, "We will never leave you, there is only one captain."
The funeral Mass was led by Monsignor Carlo Faccendini, abbot of the Basilica of Sant'Ambrogio, who in his homily touched on Baresi's nickname "Piscinin," which means "little one" in the Milanese dialect.
"In the Gospels, Jesus's affection for the little ones is clear, for those who are 'Piscinin,' as Franco Baresi was affectionately called. In the little ones, Jesus sees the qualities of the Kingdom: there is no doubt about Jesus's affection for Franco Baresi,"said Monsignor Faccendini.
Among those gathered, numerous former teammates stood out. Paolo Maldini, Roberto Baggio, Marco Van Basten, and Dejan Savićević were just some of those who came to bid farewell to their captain. Visibly shaken, Ariedo Braida could not hold back tears and only briefly said, "I can't." The coffin was carried on its final journey by Donadoni, Van Basten, Massaro, Albertini, Costacurta, Virdis, Ambrosini, Simone, and Evani.
Tributes to Baresi also came from representatives of the biggest rivals. Inter's president, Beppe Marotta, highlighted the values that graced the late captain.
"Franco represented an icon of football and carried a great value that has been lost today: a sense of belonging. These are examples that must make us reflect, but above all, today's footballers must use them,"Marotta stated, as reported by ANSA.
Alongside Marotta, representatives from Juventus, Ricky Massara and Gianluca Pessotto, Fiorentina legend Giancarlo Antognoni, and Torino owner Urbano Cairo, who described Baresi as "a person of incredible human and footballing values, a flag of Milan," were also present at the funeral. Former players such as Dida, Seedorf, Montolivo, Donadoni, and many others were also in attendance.
Notably absent was Milan's first team, which was on a tour in Australia. Only Christian Pulisic and Santiago Gimenez attended the funeral, as they had stayed at the Milanello training center to recover from injuries. Current captain Maignan was not present as he was still on holiday after the World Cup, a fact that drew comments from many.
Franco Baresi will be remembered as one of the greatest figures in the history of AC Milan and Italian football. For the Rossoneri, he played 719 matches until his retirement in 1997, a record later surpassed only by Paolo Maldini. With the club, he won six Serie A titles and three European Cups (Champions League).
With the Italian national team, he won the 1982 World Cup and also played in the 1994 final. The club has not officially announced the cause of death, but it is known that Baresi underwent surgery in August 2025 to remove a pulmonary nodule.
Italy's Minister of Sport, Andrea Abodi, summed up the feelings of many, saying that "his belonging to the AC Milan family and to football in general is the reason why everyone loved him."
