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Chelsea cult hero cancels contract and announces retirement after collapsing in training
Apr 05 2026 14:11 · By Isaac Seelochan/Senior Sports Journalist · 26 Reads
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Former Chelsea star Oscar has been forced to retire from professional football after collapsing in training due to a heart condition. The Brazilian announced this weekend that he had been forced to hang up his boots prematurely because of his health.
The 34-year-old was treated in hospital after becoming unwell at what turned out to be his final club, Sao Paulo, while doing physical pre-season testing with the club in November. It was later determined that he was experiencing vasovagal syncope - a common cause of fainting after a sudden drop in blood pressure or heart rate.
Oscar was reportedly unconscious for two minutes and has since had surgery to fix the problem. But due to the severity of the issue, he has been forced to retire early and has decided to cancel his Sao Paulo contract - which was due to run until the end of 2027.
The former midfielder took to Sao Paulo's Instagram to announce the decision in an emotional video message to fans of his boyhood club. He said: "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. Now I'm going to retire and continue supporting Sao Paulo, continuing my life as a fan.
"I'm ending my career here at Sao Paulo, a career that has taken me to many places, practically all over the world . I'd like to thank everyone for their constant support, all the Sao Paulo fans who have backed me since my return and during this difficult time I'm going through."
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Oscar returned to Sao Paulo in 2024 after a lucrative spell playing in China. The former Brazil international won three league titles with Shanghai Port.
Before his move to Asia, he was synonymous with Chelsea - winning two Premier League titles (2014-15 and 2016-17), one Europa League (2012-13) and a League Cup (2014-15) during four-and-a-half seasons in west London.
He also won 48 caps for Brazil, scoring 12 goals during his five years playing for the Selecao.
