Flávio Bolsonaro (of the Liberal Party, PL) and Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (of the Workers’ Party, PT) will go head-to-head in the second round of Brazil’s presidential election. The two candidates received the most votes in the first round, held this Sunday (Oct. 4), as per data from the Superior Electoral Court.

Flávio Bolsonaro finished the vote count in first place, with 47.03 percent of the valid votes, equivalent to 56,103,033 votes. Lula came in second, with 45.16 percent, or 53,870,724 votes.

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As of 11:21 p.m., 99.99 percent of the ballots had been tallied.

The presidential election is decided in a runoff when no candidate obtains more than half of the valid votes in the first round. The runoff is scheduled for October 25.

Flávio Bolsonaro

At a press conference following the announcement of the results, the presidential hopeful said the outcome showed that “Brazil wants change.”

“That’s my take on what happened today. I was very happy with the results across all regions. Nearly 56 million Brazilians – men and women alike – cast their vote of confidence in change. I was very happy with the number of Brazilians who went to the polls, did not stay home, and wanted this change,” he declared.

“I am happy about the real possibility that, in three weeks, Brazil will give a definitive answer that it wants a modern government, with fewer ministries. A government that will appoint at least four justices to the Supreme Court, who will not try to interfere in elections,” he added.

“I am the only candidate who has committed to ending re-election. I only need one term to put the Brazilian people at the center of my government, so that I can solve Brazil’s real problems. I want the opportunity to take care of Brazil, to take care of the Brazilian people.”

Lula

Brazil’s president and candidate for re-election gave a speech around 9:40 p.m. in an auditorium at the Renaissance Hotel, near Paulista Avenue in São Paulo.

Lula thanked voters for their support and said he had expected to win in the first round. He noted that the result was unexpected but that now, in the runoff, he would have the opportunity to show the public who the best candidate is.

“We’ve just learned a lesson about democracy in Brazil through the Brazilian people’s vote,” he said right at the start of his speech. “I’ll admit to you that I was convinced I was going to win the election in the first round. But I’ve thought that before,” he said. “But we have the second round, and the second round is the moment of truth. It’s time for us to show the true picture of Brazil today and the Brazil we want. So starting tomorrow, we’ll begin a new campaign,” he added.

Lula criticized his opponent, Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, and said that in the runoff election, it will be possible to shed more light on the PL candidate’s background.

“On the other side, we have nothing but uncertainty, with a background marked by a shadowy past. There is nothing that points to a promising future for Brazilian society. There is no background on the father, no background on the son, and we don’t know if there will be any background on other relatives. It’s a shadowy background, with shadowy connections, with extremely serious suspicions, involving ties to militias, organized crime, and the murders in Rio de Janeiro,” he said.

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on Monday (Sep. 28) signed into law a bill establishing permanent national guidelines for the development of women’s soccer in Brazil. Law No. 15,522 sets forth a series of responsibilities for the country, the Brazilian Soccer Confederation (CBF), and soccer clubs.

“We want women to gain a foothold in every sector of the labor market, every political activity, every professional field, and every sporting activity. There is no reason for women to be treated as inferior,” Lula stated.

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The law stipulates that clubs that train young athletes must also maintain a women’s team, and it guarantees sports organizations that develop women’s soccer the same rights and benefits granted to entities that promote men’s soccer.

The Ministry of Sports will be responsible for encouraging girls’ participation in soccer, strengthening youth competitions across all age groups, and supporting the creation and maintenance of professional and youth teams.

The ministry should also work with clubs and CBF to develop protocols for preventing and combating racism, discrimination, prejudice, and violence against women. These protective measures cover women athletes, referees, coaches, fans, administrators, physical education professionals, and other women involved in soccer.

The ministry will also encourage partnerships between schools, universities, and clubs to identify and develop new talent in women’s soccer. It will also support the training and employability of women in other aspects of the game, such as refereeing, coaching, and sports administration, among other roles.

The new law also amends the Law on Public Limited Soccer Companies (SAF). Now, a club that wishes to become an SAF must develop both women’s and men’s soccer, or women’s soccer only.

“The change provides legal backing for the development of professional athletes by business structures dedicated exclusively to women’s soccer,” the Brazilian government explains.

The Executive Branch submitted the bill to the National Congress in September 2025. On September 2 of this year, the bill completed its legislative process after being approved by the House of Representatives and the Senate, and was sent to the president for approval.

World Cup

The law was enacted in connection with the organization of the upcoming Women’s World Cup, which will take place in Brazil in 2027. The text of the law also calls for the development of a plan outlining the social, athletic, and financial legacy that the tournament is expected to leave behind.

The 2027 Women’s World Cup will be held from June 24 to July 25, 2027, in Belo Horizonte, Brasília, Fortaleza, Porto Alegre, Recife, Rio de Janeiro, Salvador, and São Paulo.

The Brazilian government announced on Friday (Sep. 25) a provisional measure prohibiting the operation, offering, brokering, and advertising of online betting and gaming platforms in Brazil, commonly known as “bets.”

As of the measure’s publication, platforms are barred from accepting new bets. It establishes a transition period for authorized companies to wind down their operations.

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Bettors will have until 11:59 p.m. on October 5 to voluntarily withdraw the funds available on the platforms. Those who do not withdraw their funds during this period will have their remaining balances refunded through the banks that process payments for the betting companies between October 9 and 14.

Betting websites and apps must be taken offline starting October 6. On October 7 and 8, the companies must provide banks with the amounts held in bettors’ accounts, linked to their respective taxpayer identification number. Financial institutions will issue full refunds of the balances.

If any issues arise with the refunds, Caixa Econômica Federal may facilitate payments to bettors starting October 14.

Enforcement

The Brazilian government plans to step up enforcement against illegal platforms and investigations into financial transactions related to gambling. The strategy includes identifying and taking down illegal websites, freezing bank accounts improperly used for gambling, and sharing information among government agencies.

The Ministry of Justice and Public Security and the Federal Police will receive additional resources to support enforcement efforts.

After signing the provisional measure banning betting operations in the country, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said online betting sites are a “cancer” that must be eliminated.

“I took a tough and drastic measure that was necessary. This is like a cancer. Either we remove the tumor, or this tumor will kill us,” he stated.

Lula also compared online gambling addiction to crack cocaine use, noting that families are being destroyed and people are taking on unpayable debts because of the condition, also known as pathological gambling.

The president said he decided to ban online gambling in Brazil after consulting with his economic team, civil society organizations, and citizens. He pointed out he had spoken with businesspeople, homemakers, and even staff members at the Alvorada presidential palace, the president’s official residence, as well as with a woman who had attempted suicide three times and another whose son died by suicide after accumulating gambling debts.

“We won’t allow you to be exploited by credit card companies or betting sites and spend money meant for milk, your child’s bread, meals, and the things your wife needs at home. We’re trying to free the poorest people in this country from killing themselves over the prospect of winning,” Lula declared.

Soccer

Regarding complaints from soccer clubs sponsored by betting companies, Lula emphasized that Brazilian teams have won world championships without betting sponsorship, and that the Brazilian national team won the World Cup five times before betting companies entered the Brazilian market.

The president added he had been informed that betting sponsorship of soccer clubs accounts for between 6 percent and 7 percent of a team’s budget.

“What’s unacceptable is for a team not to realize that its fans already support the club, go to the stadium, and buy jerseys for their wives and children. Not only does the poor bettor contribute everything he has, but does the team also want to pay off its debts with the fans’ hard-earned money?” he added.

Impacts

Studies have shown the negative effects of this type of betting on household budgets and bettors’ mental health.

Gambling caused a BRL 62.5 billion shortfall in household budgets in 2025 alone, according to the National Committee of Finance Secretaries (Comsefaz). One in five students (20.4%) in the final years of elementary and high school said they had placed online bets. This proportion rises to nearly half (49.7%) among students in the 12th grade.

According to the Ministry of Health, the harms associated with gambling generate a social cost of BRL 38.8 billion per year. The estimate includes BRL 3 billion for the medical treatment of depression, BRL 10.4 billion for the loss of quality of life associated with depression, BRL 17 billion related to additional deaths from suicide, and BRL 30.6 billion in health-related costs.

In addition, the government estimates that BRL 8.2 billion is associated with homelessness, unemployment insurance payments, and incarceration.

Mental health professionals have been calling for urgent action to address the online gambling market. According to them, people with gambling addictions may exhibit signs such as social withdrawal, increased alcohol consumption, or significant changes in behavior.

Gambling addiction can develop through physiological processes in the brain and body. When a person gambles, the brain may release dopamine in anticipation of a win, which can act as a form of reward. This process can influence brain regions involved in decision-making and behavior. The brain may then become conditioned by this intermittent reinforcement.

The financial reward, however, does not correspond proportionally to the chemical reward.