Rivera: “Did Baresi deserve the Ballon d’Or? I don’t know the criteria from those years, but he was the greatest defender of all time in Italy” | Goal.com

Published on 31 Jul 2026 | Reading time: 1 minute

One of Italian football's greatest champions, and an AC Milan legend himself, Gianni Rivera remembers Franco Baresi like this: "Baresi made his debut at a very young age, as I did, albeit in a different role. Franco was outstanding in establishing himself as a 

player

of the highest level in his position. Did he deserve the Ballon d'Or? I do not know the criteria from those years, but he was the greatest defender Italy have ever had."

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