For a player who seemed to have been around forever, he only broke through into the Italian national side in the late 80's, missing Espana '82 and Mexico '86. 
His final moment as an international player, his penalty miss in the World Cup Final shootout in 1994, was a sad moment on which to end his career, but his career had long since proved to the world just how good a defender he was.
Operating in the sweeper role, just behind the defence, Baresi played 444 games for AC Milan in Serie A, scoring 12 goals. But it was stopping goals that was Franco’s forte, and he did so in one of European Football’s all-time great sides. The
During his time at the San Siro, Baresi won six Serie A championships, and three European Cups – and for all of them, Baresi was the talisman, keeping it safe at the back.
He is held in such high regard in
On the international stage, Baresi found himself so close, yet so far to major honours. He played in just two World Cup finals tournaments for the Azzurri, making the semi-finals in Italia ’90 and then going all the way to the final in