Brazil's leading presidential candidates snub TV debate ahead of Sunday's election

SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and opposition candidate Flávio Bolsonaro snubbed a planned debate ahead of the first round of the presidential election, depriving 158 million voters from watching them face off.

A debate organized by TV Globo, the country’s most popular broadcaster, was set for Thursday and offered the final opportunity for the two presidential front-runners to face off before polls open on Sunday.

The cancellation marks the first time in 20 years that Brazil's leading candidates have rejected any public confrontation. Other media companies and business groups have organized debates with other candidates since Aug. 23.

Lula said Wednesday he would not attend the TV Globo debate that was scheduled to include Bolsonaro and two other candidates. Hours before the event was set to begin in Rio de Janeiro, Bolsonaro, the son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, also bowed out.

The broadcaster said in a statement that the debate was canceled because two rulings, one from the country’s electoral court and the other from Brazil’s Supreme Court, had created “legal uncertainty” about the event.

The first decision ordered TV Globo to remove an empty seat that was reserved for Lula, who would have been the focus of questions from his rivals in attendance. The latter ruling forced the broadcaster to invite candidate Renan Santos, a critic of the president and the top opposition candidate.

Analysts say Lula and Bolsonaro have both conducted a strategy of avoiding direct confrontations on stage before the first round of voting. They are still likely to clash in the three weeks before the Oct. 25 runoff if there is one.

Recent polls show the two men as the only candidates with a real chance of reaching the second round or scoring an outright win. Both candidates made online broadcasts at the same time as the debate was scheduled.

Carlos Melo, a political science professor at Insper university in Sao Paulo, said the snub from the front-runners and the cancellation of a once high-stakes debate show how turbulent these elections are.

“Lula and Flávio would be massacred by the other candidates. There's no real debate on ideas and projects anymore. It is a fist fight, it is getting disrespect,” Melo said. “Flávio teased Lula into going to the debate, where Lula would have four against him. At the end, Flávio saw this could be bad for him too.”

“Going to debates has become a part of a calculation in Brazil. For those who have a better chance of being in the runoff, to miss a big debate is to avoid tripping and giving ground away,” he added.

Lula on Wednesday repeated the argument he has used to reject attending other debates prior to first-round voting.

“You cannot bring someone who has 49% (in the polls) to debate with someone who has 1%,” he said.

Bolsonaro, during a live broadcast Thursday on his social medial channels, said his last-minute cancellation was about “censorship imposed by the electoral court,” in a reference to the decision that stopped the broadcaster from keeping Lula's empty seat on stage.

“I called you to debate, Lula, more than twice. You ran away. We want to debate with you, shove the truth on you face,” Bolsonaro said.

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A supporter of Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is running for reelection, holds campaign stickers bearing Lula's image and number 13 during a campaign event on streets in Brasilia, Brazil, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)

A street vendor sells campaign flags of presidential candidates Sen. Flavio Bolsonaro and current President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva who is running for reelection in Brasilia, Brazil, Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)

Opposition presidential candidate Sen. Flavio Bolsonaro meets with jiu-jitsu black belts as part of his campaign ahead of general elections in Sao Paulo, Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is running for reelection, greets supporters during a campaign rally in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Allison Sales)

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Freddie Freeman and Emmet Sheehan yawned. Manager Dave Roberts wore shorts to batting practice. The Los Angeles Dodgers are playing it cool as they head into the postseason with history at stake.

They're trying to become the first team since the New York Yankees from 1998-2000 to win three consecutive World Series championships, and the first National League club to ever do it.

They'll leave the sky-high expectations to everyone else.

“It's not something we're really focused on,” third baseman Max Muncy said. “When you talk about three-peating, you're putting that extra pressure on it that doesn't need to be there. Winning a World Series is already hard enough as it is.”

The Dodgers played a simulated game Thursday with the deciding game of the NL Wild Card Series between Philadelphia and Atlanta shown on the stadium video boards. The Braves beat the Phillies 6-2 and will play at Los Angeles in Game 1 of the best-of-five NL Division Series on Saturday, when the temperature is forecast to reach 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 Celsius) for the day game.

“You’re facing a team that’s already been through the fire and they’ve faced the emotion,” Muncy said.

The Dodgers have spent the bye week getting healthy while mixing in live batting practice, hitting in the cage and simulated games in a mostly silent stadium. Other than walk-up songs, the only sounds were the crack of the bat, guys hooting from the dugouts and outfielders yelling to signal they'd handle a fly ball.

Freeman used the down time to focus on getting his swing mechanics right while managing a right knee issue. The 37-year-old first baseman's plan included taking 400 swings “hopefully to kick out the bad habits,” he said.

Freeman doubled against Tyler Glasnow leading off Thursday's simulated game.

“I truly feel good right now physically and it's on me right now to figure out the mechanics of the swing,” he said. “I have no pain in my knee right now.”

Four-time MVP Shohei Ohtani has struggled with nagging right biceps and left knee issues for weeks. His knee shut him down from pitching and his arm recently landed him on the injured list for the first time with the Dodgers. He returned in time to play in five games at the end of the season.

Which version of Ohtani the Dodgers get in the NLDS remains to be seen; however, Roberts said he's “feeling great physically. His swings are overall in a great place.”

The Dodgers' lineup of position players is the oldest in the majors, led by 37-year-old infielder Miguel Rojas, Freeman and 35-year-old Muncy. Ohtani is 32. Reliever Blake Treinen is 38, but will miss the postseason after getting hurt last weekend.

“I think experience is going to be huge,” Freeman said. “We know what it takes.”

At the same time, the Dodgers can't afford to get ahead of themselves.

“If you think big picture in this moment, you’re going to lose sight of things,” Freeman said.

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Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Tarik Skubal throws during practice ahead of a baseball NL Division Series Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman yawns during practice ahead of a baseball NL Division Series Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Mookie Betts, right, and Josue de Paula chat during practice ahead of a baseball NL Division Series Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Emmet Sheehan yawns during practice ahead of a baseball NL Division Series Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy, left, talks with manager Dave Roberts during practice ahead of a baseball NL Division Series Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)