Former Chelsea midfielder Oscar suffered from vasovagal syncope after he collapsed during a pre-season training session with Sao Paulo this week.
The 34-year-old fell in poor health during medical tests on the Brazilian club’s training ground on Tuesday and was taken by ambulance to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) on the Albert Einstein Israelite Hospital.
Oscar was participating in an interval test on an exercise bike when he fell to the bottom and remained unconscious for around two minutes.
The Brazilian midfielder stays in hospital but Sao Paulo have confirmed that his condition just isn’t life threatening.
‘Oscar stays hospitalised on the Einstein Hospital Israelita, where he was admitted on Tuesday afternoon (11) after presenting an incident with cardiological changes during tests carried out at SuperCT,’ Sao Paulo said in an announcement.
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‘Extensive investigation carried out on the hospital confirmed the diagnosis of vasovagal syncope.
‘Oscar stays clinically well and stable, hospitalised in a cardiology unit, and can undergo an electrophysiological study this Friday.’
In a message to supporters on Wednesday, Oscar posted on Instagram: ‘Thanks very much for the messages and prayers. Every little thing might be effective, God willing.’
Vasovagal syncope, often known as the common faint, happens when an individual overreacts to certain triggers which cause a sudden drop in blood pressure and heart rate.
Initial reports suggested that Oscar was considering retiring from football following his collapse.
‘Right away, the one thing we’re excited about is that Oscar is well, stays well, then we’ll produce other concerns,’ Sao Paulo’s football director, Carlos Belmonte, said this week.
‘If Oscar is well and fit, we’re counting on him for the 2026 season. If Oscar isn’t, or if he makes a private decision to not play anymore, we’ll support the player’s decision.
‘Oscar is a young man who deserves all our respect, he’s extremely dedicated, so let’s wait and see. We’re counting on Oscar in 2026 if he’s in a position to. If he decides to stop, we’ll negotiate Oscar’s departure.’
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