Italian World Cup winner Franco Baresi dies at 66

MILAN, Metropolitan City of Milan — Franco Baresi, the former AC Milan defender and World Cup winner with Italy, has died. His death was announced on Friday by Milan, the soccer club where he spent his entire 20-year playing career. No cause of death was given. "The entire history of AC Milan is in tears," Milan said. In August 2025, Baresi underwent surgery to remove a pulmonary nodule and subsequently began a course of immunotherapy. His last public appearance was at the opening ceremony for the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics in February, when, along with former Inter Milan defender Giuseppe Bergomi, he carried the torch into San Siro — the stadium where he formerly played. “Announcing the loss of someone who embodied the heart and soul of AC Milan is incredibly difficult,” the club said. "But everyone at the club and all the Milanisti must live up to Franco Baresi’s memory.

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