Oscar Retires from Soccer at 34 After Cardiac Episode

Former Chelsea and Brazil midfielder Oscar announced his retirement from professional soccer on Saturday at the age of 34, following a cardiac episode that sidelined him for months.

The Brazilian, who rejoined his boyhood club Sao Paulo in late 2024 on a three-year contract, experienced vasovagal syncope during routine preseason medical testing on November 11, 2024, at the club's Barra Funda training center in Sao Paulo. The condition, which causes fainting due to a sudden drop in blood pressure and heart rate, led to him collapsing and remaining unconscious for about two minutes. He spent five days in the Albert Einstein Hospital, where doctors identified cardiac complications requiring surgery. Oscar has not played since the incident, which followed a season marred by injuries to his hamstring, calf, thigh and lower spine.

Sao Paulo confirmed that Oscar finalized the termination of his contract this week, eight months before its scheduled end in December 2027. In a statement released by the club, he expressed disappointment over the abrupt conclusion to his career. "I wanted to do more for Sao Paulo, I wanted to play more," Oscar said. "I think I had both the footballing...