With the Euro 2024 tournament just a few months away, many of AC Milan’s current squad will be gearing up to represent their country. This will likely include Mike Maignan, Malick Thiaw, and Rafael Leao who have all recently undertaken international duties for France, Germany, and Portugal respectively.
The players aren’t the only ones getting ready for the tournament. Fans are also preparing by buying tickets and preparing to travel to Germany, booking time off work to watch games on TV, and reading up on which teams are looking strongest.
Many fans are also using this knowledge to help them make their picks in the early betting markets. The current Euro 2024 odds put England ahead in the outright tournament victory with odds of 7/2. France and Germany are a very close second and third, though, with odds of 4/1 and 7/1.
There are still a few months to go before the action gets underway, but with the excitement building, we decided to take a look at the greatest Milan players who also represented their countries.
Franco Baresi
Franco Baresi is one of several Italian footballers who have spent their entire careers at AC Milan. The former defender joined the club in 1972 before moving to the senior team in 1977 where he stayed for 20 years.
During that time, Baresi made 532 league appearances and 719 in total for the club winning six Serie A trophies, the Italian Super Cup on four occasions, and the Champions League three times.
Baresi also managed 81 international appearances between 1982 and 1994. The highlight of his time representing his country was winning the 1982 FIFA World Cup in the year he first donned the team’s jersey.
The Italian came close to winning again in 1994 where he helped the team to reach the final. However, a painful penalty shoot-out saw the trophy being lifted by Brazil instead.
Dida
Nélson de Jesus Silva, better known as Dida, spent much of his professional career at AC Milan, making 206 appearances as the team’s goalkeeper between 2000 and 2010. His towering stance of 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) makes him ideally suited for the role as the last line of defence against an attacking side.
After signing for the club in 1999, Dida made his first appearance for AC Milan in 2000, becoming the team’s starting keeper for the 2000-01 Champions League campaign. The Brazilian got off to a great start, helping his new club to a 4-1 victory against Beşiktaş. However, his second match against Leeds United saw him concede a goal due to a fumble in the heavy rain.
This didn’t stop Dida from succeeding with the club where he won several pieces of silverware, including the Champions League.
Dida also enjoyed an impressive international career. He represented Brazil in the FIFA Confederations Cup in 1997, managing five clean sheets, and helping the team to win the tournament.
Paolo Maldini
Paolo Maldini retired from professional football in 2009 after spending his entire career at his beloved AC Milan. The Italian defender joined the Rossoneri in 1978 and moved into the senior team in 1984, where he stayed for more than two decades.
During that time, Maldini managed 647 Serie A appearances and 902 in total for AC Milan, a record he continues to hold.
He also enjoyed a long and fruitful international career, moving into the senior Italian team in 1988 and only hanging up his boots in 2002. For much of his career, Maldini had the honour of being his country’s captain, earning the nickname Il Capitano.
Despite his 126 international appearances, including taking Italy to the final of the 1994 World Cup and Euro 2000, he never quite managed to win a tournament. This didn’t matter to Italians, however, as many still regard him as one of the nation’s greatest footballers of all time.
