Former Chelsea and Brazil midfielder Oscar has retired from soccer five months after being admitted to the hospital with a heart issue, Brazilian club São Paulo said on Saturday.
São Paulo said the 34-year-old Oscar finalized the termination of his contract with the team this week. The deal was set to run until the end of 2027.
Oscar hasn’t played for Sao Paulo since experiencing vasovagal syncope — a common cause in fainting after a sudden drop in blood pressure or heart rate — in November, requiring surgery. He collapsed during preseason testing and was reportedly unconscious for about two minutes.
São Paulo said at the time he “presented a complication with cardiac changes.”
“My heart stopped for about two and a half minutes, it was a shock,” Oscar said via social media on Saturday.
“Today I’m better able to talk about it; before, I would get emotional. I took the test, ended up fainting, my blood pressure dropped, and my heart stopped. Then they performed CPR for more than two minutes. I only remember fainting, nothing else.
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