Oscar recalls drama, retires: “I wish I’d done more for São Paulo” | OneFootball

At 34 years old, attacking midfielder Oscar announced his retirement from football. Earlier this week, he agreed to terminate his contract with São Paulo, which was set to run until December 31, 2027.

Oscar had been away from the pitch since November 2025, when he felt unwell during a stress test carried out at the Barra Funda training center. Taken to Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, he was diagnosed with vasovagal syncope, underwent a surgical procedure, and had to follow a rest protocol before going through a new round of exams.

“I wanted to do more for São Paulo, I wanted to play more. I think I still had both the football and the age to keep playing, but unfortunately this happened. Now I’m going to retire and keep supporting São Paulo, keep living my life as a fan,” Oscar said.

“I’m ending here at São Paulo a career that took me to many places, that practically crossed the world. I want to thank everyone for the affection as always, all the São Paulo fans who supported me since my return and in this difficult moment I’m going through,” he added.

Developed in Tricolor’s youth academy in Cotia, the player had two spells at São Paulo and made 37 appearances for the first team — scoring two goals and providing seven assists.

Last Wednesday (1), at the club’s invitation, Oscar revisited the CFA and met again with coaching staff members and employees he had worked with at the start of his career. Then on Friday (3), the midfielder watched the first-team training session at the CT and received a tribute as he said goodbye.

CAREER

Oscar dos Santos Emboaba Júnior was born in Americana, in the countryside of São Paulo state, and came through Tricolor’s youth ranks in Cotia.

After completing his development, he was promoted to the first team and played 14 matches as a professional, being part of the squad that won the 2008 Brazilian Championship.

After leaving São Paulo, Oscar moved to Internacional, where he won the Recopa Sudamericana (2011) and the Campeonato Gaúcho (2011 and 2012).

In 2012, Oscar joined Chelsea and was part of a successful generation at the English club, helping win the UEFA Europa League (2012/13), the Premier League (2014/15 and 2016/17), and the League Cup (2014/15).

During his time in Europe, the midfielder earned several call-ups to the Brazilian national team and won the FIFA Confederations Cup (2013).

Then, in 2017, the player was transferred to Shanghai in China, the club he represented until returning to Tricolor. His spell in Chinese football was marked by decisive performances, titles, goals and assists: overall, he found the net 76 times and delivered 110 assists.

With Shanghai, Oscar lifted the 2018, 2023 and 2024 Chinese Super League trophies, as well as the 2019 Chinese Super Cup.

At the end of 2024, Oscar agreed to return to São Paulo to play for the club in the 2025 season, 14 years later.

In this second spell, the player appeared in 23 matches, provided five assists and scored twice — against Mirassol and Corinthians, both in the Paulista Championship.

THE TERMINATION

At last, the tragic saga between São Paulo and Oscar has come to an end. After a highly turbulent beginning, when the still-young midfielder left the club after a legal dispute to join Internacional, he returned, against the wishes of many fans, and barely played. Now, he has reached an agreement with Tricolor and finally signed his contract termination.

The agreement between the parties was confirmed through the CBF’s BID, which published the termination of São Paulo’s former No. 8 with the club that developed him on Thursday night (2).

AVANTE MEU TRICOLOR has learned that the agreement provides for the payment of around R$10 million to the player, a figure far below the R$60 million that had been projected through December 2027, when his contract would have expired.

A MATTER OF CONSCIENCE

The difference is explained by the midfielder’s own decision to waive a significant part of what he would have been entitled to receive, choosing to consider only the period up to November of last year, when he suffered a sudden illness during exams at the Barra Funda training center, later diagnosed as vasovagal syncope.

Which seems nothing more than fair. Those pressing for the higher amounts were the people managing Oscar’s career, who insisted on the right to receive in full what had been stipulated in the contract, valid until the end of 2027, estimated at around R$53 million.

THE CASE

One of the most discussed topics between São Paulo’s new president, Harry Massis Júnior, and the professional football department was the progress of negotiations to terminate the contract of attacking midfielder Oscar, who did not report back for this season and has only not yet officially announced his retirement precisely because he had not reached an agreement with the Morumbi club over the amounts he is still owed under the contract that runs until the end of 2027.

According to what AVANTE MEU TRICOLOR has learned, Massis wanted more speed in the process. Upon receiving São Paulo’s financial statements from CEO Márcio Carlomagno, the president and his allies noted that defining how much Oscar will cost monthly is essential to determine how much cash flow will be consumed and how much the club will be able to invest in the squad for the rest of the year.

Massis’s pressure falls mainly on the legal and financial departments, since the saga over the former No. 8’s termination still seems far from a resolution. In fact, at this point the two sides have differences over the matter.

AMT had already revealed that, in Oscar’s and his staff’s calculations, São Paulo owes him approximately R$62 million, including parts of salary, image rights and signing bonuses.

In at least three meetings held since December, all while Tricolor was still under the presidency of Julio Casares, Oscar showed willingness to split the amount into more than 24 monthly installments. But the Morumbi club disputed the figure. Since then, the legal and financial departments have been combing through the contract and the accounts to verify whether or not the amount is correct.

The midfielder’s lawyers argue that Casares may have acknowledged the debt when he suggested that Oscar receive the installments in the form of salary in a possible managerial internship he would do in Cotia. Oscar wants to remain in football after retirement, and that would have been a way to stay at São Paulo while preparing for the new role.

The opening left by the former president, however, was ignored at the request of the former No. 8, who does not want fights or conflicts and accepted the deadline for the internal audit in order to know São Paulo’s answer.

In fact, also at Oscar’s instruction to his lawyers, there is so far a consensus between the parties that the attacking midfielder and the club will simply terminate the deal amicably, that is, without either side paying a penalty. And that he will waive what he would have been entitled to receive from this month onward for the rest of the contract.

FAMILY PRESSURE

Oscar’s decision to hang up his boots came after he suffered vasovagal syncope on November 11.

At first, Oscar was only expected to return to work when the squad reported back for the 2026 preseason. But São Paulo’s board has maintained its position of leaving in his hands the decision of when and how to return to training.

That would also give the No. 8 more time to decide whether or not to retire, as his family wants.

Oscar was hospitalized in a hospital in the western part of the city of São Paulo after showing complications with cardiac alterations during exams conducted at the Barra Funda training center. Oscar even fainted and lost consciousness during the physical evaluation activity.

An extensive investigation carried out at the hospital confirmed that the player had an episode of vasovagal syncope. Stable and clinically well throughout his stay in hospital, the player continues to follow a medical rest program over the coming days.

After the scare, there is a consensus within Tricolor that there is no rush or pressure of any kind for their midfielder’s return. Oscar will stay away from training for as long as he feels necessary and will have the club’s full support in his decision.

The same goes for the future. São Paulo officials have not raised the subject of ending his career with the No. 8 at any point. Officially or not, the stance is the same: Oscar is under contract until the end of 2027, the priority now is his recovery not only physically but also emotionally, and the decision is strictly personal.

From São Paulo’s side, the order is to continue contractually as things are, with no changes to clauses or amounts.

“He has two more years on his contract and we will give him whatever time is necessary for his recovery and for him to think about what is best for him. The important thing is that it was nothing serious and he is already with his family. Our priority is to see him well. There aren’t even grounds for any discussion beyond that. Above all, we respect what Oscar means and his importance to São Paulo,” a source from the top of São Paulo’s football department told AVANTE MEU TRICOLOR, asking not to be identified.

Signed at the start of the season, Oscar has totaled two goals and five assists in the 21 matches he played for São Paulo. Sources close to the player consulted by the report say the family’s wish is for him to hang up his boots. But the subject has not been discussed again since he was discharged, partly as a way of not putting pressure on him.

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