Franco Baresi

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

With the Italy national team, he was a member of the squad that won the 1982 FIFA World Cup, the first in 44 years. He also played in the 1990 World Cup held on home soil, where he was named in the FIFA World Cup All-Star Team, while leading them to a third place in the tournament. At the 1994 World Cup, he was named Italy's captain and was part of the squad that reached the final, although he would miss a penalty in the resulting shoot-out as Brazil lifted the trophy. Baresi also represented Italy at two UEFA European Championships, in 1980 and 1988, and at the 1984 Olympics, reaching the semi-finals on each occasion.

In Their Own Story

Baresi won his first senior international cap in a 1984 UEFA Championship qualifying match against Romania in Florence, on 14 December 1982, a 0–0 draw. Italy, however, ultimately failed to qualify for the final tournament. Baresi was not included in Italy's squad for the 1986 World Cup by coach Enzo Bearzot, who saw him as being more of a midfielder than a defender. He returned to the team for the 1988 European Championship, playing as a sweeper and becoming an undisputed first team member and playing in every match under Azeglio Vicini; Italy reached the semi-finals, losing 2–0 to the Soviet Union. Prior to the tournament, he scored his only international goal from a penalty in a 4–1 friendly home win against the same opponent on 20 February 1988. He made his first appearance in a World Cup finals match in the 1990 tournament, which was held on home soil.

Reader's Guide

The younger brother of former footballer Giuseppe Baresi, after joining the Milan senior team as a youngster, Franco was initially nicknamed 'Piscinin', Milanese for 'little one'. Due to his skill and success, he was later known as 'Kaiser Franz', a reference to fellow sweeper Franz Beckenbauer. In 1999, he was voted Milan's Player of the Century. After his final season at Milan in 1997, the club retired Baresi's shirt number 6. He was named by Pelé one of the 125 Greatest Living Footballers at the FIFA centenary awards ceremony in 2004. Baresi was inducted into the Italian Football Hall of Fame in 2013.

Did You Know?

• Baresi was born on a farm in Travagliato, near Brescia, and did not watch football on television until he was 10.
• He legally changed his name from Franchino to Franco in 1999.
• Baresi was initially rejected by Inter Milan's youth team, who chose his brother Giuseppe instead.
• He scored 31 goals for Milan, 21 of which were on penalties, and was the top scorer of the Coppa Italia in 1989–90.
• Baresi helped Milan go unbeaten for an Italian record of 58 matches during the 1991–92 season.