Europe

Italy Soccer Great Franco Baresi Dies at 66

Is the soccer world mourning a true legend or outraged by those who exploited his death for clout?

Published JUL 31

Italy Soccer Great Franco Baresi Dies at 66

Story

Above: Franco Baresi on Feb. 2, 2025. Image credit: Nicolò Campo/LightRocket/Getty Images

The Facts

Top-flight soccer club AC Milan announced on Friday that its former captain Franco Baresi, a one-club Italian defender who retired in 1997 as an icon for both his club and Italy's national team, has died at the age of 66.
AC Milan on X
Reuters
With Italy, Baresi won the 1982 World Cup and captained the Azzurri to the 1994 World Cup final. With AC Milan, he played 719 games across 20 seasons, winning several titles including three UEFA Champions Leagues. He also had his No. 6 jersey retired and was voted the club's Player of the Century in 1999.
Reuters
The Athletic
UEFA.com
AC Milan further announced on Friday that a public funeral service for Baresi is scheduled for next Tuesday at 11 a.m. at the Basilica di Sant'Ambrogio in Milan, subject to the church's capacity.
AC Milan on X
This comes as rumors about Baresi's death circulated online on Wednesday, prompting AC Milan to publish a statement saying that its legend was "going through a difficult and delicate time" and urging people to "respect their privacy and refrain from spreading entirely unfounded information."
GB News
AC Milan on X
No cause of death has been revealed. According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Baresi was at a hospital in Rozzano, on the outskirts of Milan. Last year, he underwent surgery to remove a lung nodule and was prescribed immunotherapy.
Guardian
La Gazzetta dello Sport
New York Post
His last public appearance came at the opening ceremony of the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics in February. He carried the Olympic torch into San Siro, the stadium he used to play in, alongside former Inter Milan and Italy defender Giuseppe Bergomi.
ESPN
Independent
New York Post

Sources Split

LEFT

CENTER

RIGHT

ESTAB
CRIT

CENTER

PRO
ESTAB

The Spin

Narrative A

Sadly, the news that no one wanted to be true has been confirmed. Baresi is gone, and the soccer world has lost one of the greatest defenders to ever play the game. A true symbol of AC Milan and Italian soccer, he defined what it meant to wear the captain's armband with honor, and his legacy will never fade.

Matteo Salvini on X

Narrative B

Before this mournful news was even confirmed, vultures had flooded the internet rushing to announce Baresi's death. From journalists and public figures to ordinary social media users, many people spread unverified rumors about a legend to get clout online in a show of disrespect to the man, his legacy and his family.