See the São Paulo players who let fans down in 2025 | OneFootball

The 2025 season for São Paulo was one of the most frustrating in recent years, and part of this scenario is directly linked to the individual performance of athletes who arrived surrounded by expectations but did not deliver on the field. Amidst inconsistent performances, declines in performance, and physical difficulties, some names ended up symbolizing the low level presented by the team throughout the year. In light of this, Gazeta Esportiva analyzed the tricolor squad and highlighted the three players who disappointed the most this season, whether due to the investment made, the role they were supposed to assume, or the performance far below expectations with the Morumbi team's jersey. Check it out and vote in the poll below!

Oscar

Oscar symbolizes like few others the frustration of São Paulo's season. Announced as the big signing for 2025, the number 8 arrived surrounded by expectations but failed to deliver on the field. Despite the weight of his name and international experience, he had limited participation and an impact below expectations on the team's performance.

The numbers help explain the frustration. Oscar played only 23 matches in the season, starting 19 of them, with two goals and five assists, far below what was projected for a player hired to lead the team technically. Besides the low production, the midfielder dealt with a series of physical problems, missing 36 games due to injuries, including a thigh edema, vertebrae fracture, and calf injury. The situation worsened at the end of the year when the player was diagnosed with vasovagal syncope, a condition that led him to consider retirement. It was not the ending Oscar or the fans imagined, but given the context, the number 8's season ended up being marked more by disappointment than by great performances with the São Paulo jersey.

Check Oscar's statistics this season:

Oscar. (Photo: Erico Leonan/São Paulo FC)

Lucas

Lucas Moura was also one of São Paulo's major disappointments in 2025, especially due to the contrast with previous seasons when he was a protagonist and decisive in the team's key moments. In a year marked by high expectations, the forward failed to replicate the same level of performance and spent much of the season far from his best physical condition, which directly impacted the team's performance on the field.

The main obstacle was his right knee. Since the arthroscopy performed in August, Lucas never managed to establish a consistent sequence of games. He played only 28 official matches throughout the season, scoring five goals, modest numbers for a player accustomed to assuming the role of technical reference for the squad. After experiencing new pains, the number 7 had to undergo an infiltration and, as a precaution, is only expected to return to action in 2026. Coach Hernán Crespo himself publicly admitted that the forward has not yet managed to be “the Lucas the world knows,” reinforcing the sense of frustration around a player who, when healthy, usually elevates São Paulo's level, but in 2025 was more remembered for his absences than for decisive performances.

Check Lucas's statistics this season:

Lucas Moura. (Credits: Rubens Chiri / São Paulo FC)

Wendell

Wendell also made the list of São Paulo's major disappointments in 2025, mainly due to the gap between expectation and delivery on the field. Signed as a high-profile reinforcement after a long career in European football, with stints at Bayer Leverkusen and Porto, the left-back arrived as a hope to solve a chronic problem in the squad. The fans hoped for a ready player, with the level of the Brazilian National Team, capable of assuming the starting position without question. However, what was seen throughout the season was a performance below expectations, unable to establish himself as the position's owner.

Besides the inconsistent performance, Wendell struggled with a lack of continuity. Even before the injury that ended his year, he alternated between starting and being a substitute, seeing Enzo Díaz gain space due to greater consistency. In 25 matches played, he contributed only two assists and had difficulty impacting offensively, one of his main credentials.

The frustration was consolidated in October when a partial rupture of the plantar fascia, suffered against Grêmio, took him out for the rest of the season and postponed his return to 2026. Thus, the left-back ended 2025 as a symbol of a high investment that did not translate into performance, reinforcing the sense of disappointment in a year already marked by problems and frustrated expectations at Morumbi.

Check Wendell's statistics this season:

Wendell. (Photo: Rubens Chiri / São Paulo FC)

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.