Oscar, or Oscar dos Santos Emboaba Júnior if you’re not into the whole brevity thing, has called time on his career.
In December, the 34-year-old was riding an exercise bike at the São Paulo training ground when he collapsed and was rushed to hospital. He was diagnosed with “vasovagal syncope”, a neurological condition that can lead to sudden, reflexive fainting under stress. He was advised by doctors to hang up his boots, which he has now wisely done. Time to sit back and relax!
“I wanted to do more
for São 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 São Paulo, continue my life as a fan.”
-Oscar; source: SPFC via Google Translate
It was 15 years ago — feels just like yesterday — that Oscar announced himself to the footballing world with a hat-trick in the 2011 U20 World Cup final for Brazil. A year later, he would be on his way to the newly crowned Champions of Europe, part of a momentous summer transfer window youth revolution that BlueCo could only dream of: the likes of Eden Hazard (21), César Azpilicueta (22), Victor Moses (21) all signing alongside a 20-year-old Oscar. (And, crucially, joining an established core of veteran players and established winners.)
One of those established winners was Juan Mata, who would combine with Hazard and Oscar to form the delightful ‘MaZaCar’ trio — a short-lived but still fun little experiment that didn’t survive too long, and certainly not beyond José Mourinho’s homecoming, but still lives on fondly in our memories. José wanted to build his new team around Oscar instead.
One might argue that the young midfielder never quite managed to live up to those expectations. Or maybe he just wasn’t Eden Hazard. Or Willian. Halfway through Antonio Conte’s first season, in the prime of his career at 26, he would be gone. Oscar, to the surprise and even disappointment of many, hopped on the gravy train heading to the Chinese Super League, which was that era’s Saudi Pro League. He was well paid at Chelsea, but he was set for generations in China.
Potential returns to Chelsea or at least Europe would be teased multiple times in the subsequent seven years, and we certainly would’ve been welcomed back with open arms. But Oscar stayed in Shanghai, won the Chinese league three times, then decided to return to his hometown São Paulo at the end of 2024. He would cancel the final two years of that three-year contract after learning of his medical condition.
All told, Oscar’s Chelsea career would last just four and a half years. But he made a big impact in those 203 appearances, and played his part in our last two Premier League titles. His goal against Juventus, which came in his first ever start for Chelsea, certainly will live on for eternity.
