Oscar, the former Chelsea and Brazil midfielder, has announced his retirement from professional soccer, just five months after being hospitalized due to a heart condition, as confirmed by the Brazilian club São Paulo on Saturday.
São Paulo stated that the 34-year-old Oscar has officially terminated his contract with the team, which was originally scheduled to run until the end of 2027.
Oscar has not played for São Paulo since experiencing a vasovagal syncope episode—a common cause of fainting triggered by a sudden drop in heart rate or blood pressure—last November, which necessitated surgery. He collapsed during preseason tests and reportedly lost consciousness for about two minutes.
The club stated at that time that Oscar “presented a complication with cardiac changes.”
“My heart stopped for about two and a half minutes; it was shocking,” Oscar shared on social media on Saturday. “Today, I’m in a better place to discuss it; previously, I would feel emotional. I fainted during a test, my blood pressure dropped, and my heart stopped. They performed CPR for more than two minutes. I only remember fainting and nothing else.”
“Everyone says that when you’re close to death, you leave your body. I felt sensations like that. It’s a very surreal experience, almost like a dream. I could see my son telling me: ‘Come back, dad!'”
Reports indicate that Oscar agreed to forgo some of the financial terms of his contract, which was set to last until December 31, 2027, to amicably part ways with São Paulo.
He made a total of 21 appearances for the club, scoring two goals and providing five assists.
“It’s tough; I wanted to contribute more to São Paulo. I believed I had the skill and the age to continue playing. But unfortunately, this situation arose, and now I will retire. I’ll embrace my new role as a fan,” he expressed.
São Paulo was Oscar’s childhood club. He later played for Internacional in Brazil before transferring to Chelsea in 2012 for £25 million, where he enjoyed a successful stint, winning two Premier League titles and the Europa League.
Following eight seasons with Shanghai Port in China, he returned to his first club.
Oscar earned 48 caps for the Brazil national team.
This report includes contributions from The Associated Press.