Daniel Osvaldo admitted to ICU after emergency lung surgery

Daniel Osvaldo, the former Espanyol and Argentina international striker, has been admitted to the intensive care unit of a hospital in Llavallol, in the province of Buenos Aires. The 39-year-old former footballer underwent emergency surgery after suffering a severe pleural effusion in his right lung, and his condition is a source of understandable concern for those who have followed his career.

• Osvaldo remains in the ICU of a medical centre in Llavallol, Buenos Aires province.
• The Argentine underwent emergency surgery for a serious pleural effusion in his right lung.
• He had been feeling unwell for several days and was taken to hospital by his sister.
• After the operation he is under medical supervision with a guarded prognosis.
• In 2024 he went public about his treatment for depression and problems with alcohol and drugs.

Emergency surgery for a serious pleural effusion

Osvaldo's admission came after the Argentine had been feeling unwell for several days. The situation reached a critical point when his sister went to his home and found him in a delicate condition, which led to his immediate transfer to a hospital in Llavallol, in the southern part of Greater Buenos Aires.

Once at the hospital, doctors diagnosed a serious pleural effusion in the right lung, an abnormal build-up of fluid in the pleural cavity that compromises breathing capacity. The medical team decided to operate urgently to drain the affected area and stabilise the patient.

After the operation, Osvaldo was admitted to the intensive care unit, where he remains under constant medical supervision. The professionals treating him have set a guarded prognosis while they wait to see how he progresses over the coming hours.

Osvaldo's difficult personal process in recent years

Osvaldo's health has been a source of concern for some time. In March 2024, the former footballer decided to open up to his followers and published a video on social media in which he spoke openly about the tough battle he was fighting against deep depression. In that recording he admitted that he was dealing with problems derived from alcohol and substance use, and that he was undergoing psychiatric treatment to try to turn his life around.

Osvaldo explained at the time that he was going through a stage marked by isolation and badly damaged self-esteem, direct consequences of the radical change his life took after hanging up his boots. From being an elite striker in Europe's top leagues, he shifted his focus to music and a new life away from football, a transition that he said had a major impact both personally and financially.

In March 2024 he admitted that he had been fighting severe depression for some time and had struggled with alcohol and drugs.

Signs of improvement before his hospital admission

Despite the harshness of that testimony, months later the outlook seemed more hopeful. In an interview published in late 2024, Osvaldo said he was continuing with his treatment and that his condition had improved significantly. The former Espanyol, Roma and Juventus striker said he had not relapsed and expressed optimism about his recovery process.

That improvement is what makes the health episode that has now taken him to hospital all the more unexpected. Osvaldo continues to receive specialised care and those close to him are waiting for news of his progress in the ICU.

The career of a striker who shone in European football

Daniel Osvaldo left his mark on European football for more than a decade. The striker, born in Lanús, came through the ranks at Huracán and made the move to Europe at just 20 years old to play for Atalanta in Italy. His career really took off in Serie A, where he wore the shirts of Fiorentina, Bologna, Roma, Juventus and Inter Milan.

In Spain, Osvaldo played for Espanyol between 2010 and 2011, a period in which his physical power and goalscoring instinct made him one of the most respected strikers in LaLiga. He also played for Southampton in the Premier League, Portuguese side Porto and Argentine giants Boca Juniors, before leaving professional football for good in 2018.

What we know about Osvaldo's current condition in hospital

For now, the former striker remains admitted to the intensive care unit of the medical centre in Llavallol. The operation he underwent focused on the right lung, affected by the pleural effusion, and after surgery he was placed under close observation by medical staff.

His prognosis remains guarded, which calls for caution. Osvaldo's family has not made any public statement about his condition, and the coming hours will be decisive in determining the clinical progress of the former Argentina international.