Brazil’s second-round presidential vote on Sunday has turned into a referendum on how seriously the country will back its 2027 Women’s World Cup, the first FIFA Women’s World Cup held in South America.
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Flávio Bolsonaro each won more than 45% in the 4 October first round, with the far-right senator edging the incumbent 47.03% to 45.16% and together accounting for more than 92% of all votes. Neither reached the 50% needed to win outright.
The day before the first round, the Brasileirão Feminino final at MorumBIS turned into a political moment. São Paulo goalkeeper Carlinha saved a penalty, was named player of the match and ended Corinthians’ six-year hold on the title in front of a record 49,405 spectators.
She then spoke to post-match cameras.
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“Never again Bolsonaro in power,” she said.
Carlinha was broadcast live on Globo, which registered its highest audience for the women’s championship since it began covering the competition.
Lula’s two laws for the women’s game
In June Lula signed Law 15,421, the regulatory framework for the 2027 Women’s World Cup. The text sets rules on tickets, visas, security and FIFA’s commercial rights, and makes gender equality and the fight against discrimination founding principles of the organisation. It also commits the state to a social and sporting legacy from the tournament.
Three months later, in September, Lula signed Law 15,522, establishing permanent national guidelines for the development of women’s football and defining responsibilities for the federal government, the Brazilian Football Confederation and clubs.
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Lula’s government plan for the runoff lists infrastructure projects for the tournament across eight state capitals and continued funding through the federal infrastructure programme Novo PAC, according to a comparison of the two candidates’ sports proposals by Agência Brasil.
Flávio Bolsonaro’s blank page
Flávio Bolsonaro’s government plan does not include a single line on the 2027 Women’s World Cup. His only reference to women’s sport, according to the same comparison, is a proposal to exclude transgender athletes from women’s categories.
The senator’s platform leans on private-sector partnerships for school facilities and athlete support, with programs framed around discipline and character building rather than federal investment tied to the 2027 tournament.
The ministry his father folded
Flávio Bolsonaro is the eldest son of former president Jair Bolsonaro, whose own government dissolved the Ministry of Sports in January 2019 and folded it into a new Ministry of Citizenship, alongside the former ministries of culture and social development.
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Kick-off for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil is scheduled for 24 June, with the final on 25 July.
