LONDON: Former Chelsea midfielder Oscar has retired at the age of 34 due to ongoing cardiac problems, his current club Sao Paulo said on Saturday.
The former Brazilian international was admitted to hospital for five days due to cardiac complications in November, with extensive evaluations confirming the diagnosis of vasovagal syncope, a common form of fainting caused by a sudden drop in heart rate and blood pressure.
He was contracted to Sao Paulo until 2027 but has now terminated the contract.
“I wanted to do more for Sao Paulo, I wanted to play more. I think I had both the footballing ability and the age to play more, but unfortunately this happened,” Oscar posted on the club’s social media.
“Now I’m going to retire and continue supporting Sao Paulo, continuing my life as a fan. I am ending my career here at Sao Paulo, a career that has taken me to many places, practically all over the world.”
Oscar won the Premier League twice with Chelsea and the Chinese Super League three times at Shanghai Port. He returned to Sao Paulo in December 2024, signing a three-year contract with his boyhood club.
With Brazil, he won the FIFA Confederations Cup in 2013 and was the lone goalscorer in his side’s nightmarish 1-7 loss to Germany in the FIFA World Cup 2014 semifinal.