Sao Paulo have confirmed that former Chelsea player Oscar has been hospitalised after suffering a cardiac episode. The Brazilian has been managing the issue since August. Sources close to the midfielder suggest he is considering terminating his contract and retiring if there is any risk to his health.
Brazilian midfielder Oscar, currently with Sao Paulo, and formerly of Chelsea and Shanghai Port, was hospitalised on Tuesday after cardiac irregularities were detected during routine medical examinations at the club’s training ground.
The 34-year-old, who featured for Brazil at the 2014 World Cup, was in the final stages of recovery from a muscle injury. He will now remain under observation at the Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, although his condition is clinically stable.
According to an official statement from Sao Paulo, the midfielder suffered “a cardiac event with cardiological alterations” during a stress test as part of pre-season preparations for 2026.
Oscar reportedly fainted while exercising on a stationary bicycle and was immediately attended to by members of the hospital’s medical team who were present at the club’s facilities.
The 2011 Under-20 World Cup winner and two-time Premier League champion with Chelsea had been monitoring cardiac irregularities since August, when he underwent tests following a fracture of three vertebrae, an injury that sidelined him for three months.
Although the results at the time did not indicate any impediment to continuing to play, the player himself admitted then that he would retire if there was the slightest risk to his health.
According to sources close to the player quoted by the Brazilian press, the midfielder is now evaluating the possibility of terminating his contract with Sao Paulo, which runs until December 2027, and ending his career.
Oscar returned to Sao Paulo last year after 12 seasons abroad, but a series of injuries, to his hip, thigh and calf, have limited his appearances. Since returning to the club, he has only played 21 matches and scored two goals.
The midfielder was one of the most outstanding prospects for Brazil in the last decade and played 48 matches for the ‘Selecao’, in which he scored 12 goals.