Franco Baresi, the legendary AC Milan defender, died last week after a period of ill health at the age of 66 [1, 2, 3, 4]. On Tuesday, August 4, 2026, thousands of fans and football figures gathered at the Basilica of Sant'Ambrogio in Milan to attend his funeral [1, 2, 3, 4].
Baresi captained AC Milan for 15 seasons, appearing in 719 games and scoring 33 goals [1]. He won 18 trophies with the club, including six Serie A titles and three Champions League trophies [1, 2, 3]. He was capped 81 times by Italy and was part of the 1982 World Cup-winning squad [1, 2, 3]. Baresi also captained Italy in the 1994 World Cup final, playing the full 120 minutes just 25 days after knee surgery, though Italy lost to Brazil in a penalty shootout [1, 2, 3].
AC Milan retired his number 6 shirt on his retirement, making him the first player in club history to receive that honour [1, 2, 3].
The funeral was attended by many club legends including Paolo Maldini, Marco van Basten, Clarence Seedorf, Roberto Baggio, Alessandro Costacurta, and former coach Fabio Capello [1, 2, 3]. Gerry Cardinale, founder of RedBird Capital Partners, which owns AC Milan, also attended but was met with whistles from fans frustrated with the club's management [2, 3].
The current AC Milan squad was in Australia for preseason. However, some players not on tour, including USA forward Christian Pulisic, attended the funeral to pay their respects [1]. Fans displayed banners reading "Ciao capitano" and waved Milan flags bearing Baresi's name and number 6 [2, 3].
AC Milan will pay tribute to Baresi ahead of their friendly match against Inter Milan on August 5, 2026 [1].
