The club did not specify the cause of death, which local media attributed to cardiac arrest.

"It is with great sorrow that Sao Paulo FC announce the death of Jose Carlos de Almeida, Ze Carlos, this Friday in Osasco, near Sao Paulo," said a statement from the club where he played from 1997 to 1999.

Ze Carlos was uncapped when he was picked in the squad as a replacement for Flavio Conceicao for the 1998 World Cup.

He was an unused substitute during the group stage and in knockout matches against Chile in the round of 16 and Denmark in the quarter-finals.

His only cap came when Cafu was suspended for the semi-final against the Netherlands which Brazil won on penalties.

He returned to the bench for the 3-0 defeat by Zinedine Zidane's France in the final and was never selected to play for Brazil again, retiring in 2005.