Lula and Flávio Bolsonaro close campaigns ahead of Brazil's first-round vote

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Senator Flávio Bolsonaro wrapped up their campaigns on Saturday ahead of Sunday's first-round presidential vote, both expressing confidence of victory despite polls pointing to a likely runoff, according to Reuters, Arab News and The Straits Times. The final push took place in São Paulo, described by France 24 and Reuters as the country's powerhouse state, which France 24 said accounts for a fifth of the nation's vote.

Lula ended his re-election campaign with a march through São Paulo that drew large crowds of supporters, according to Arab News and the Straits Times. Bolsonaro took part in a motorcycle caravan through the towns of Santa Bárbara d'Oeste and Americana in São Paulo state, the same two outlets reported.

Several outlets described the contest as tight or on a knife-edge. Al Jazeera English reported that the latest polls suggest Lula's lead over Bolsonaro is narrowing, with neither candidate likely to win outright on Sunday. The Japan Times also described a tight race, while France 24 and National Post both called it a knife-edge election.

NPR reported that some Brazilian voters say they do not want either Lula or Bolsonaro as president. The New York Post, citing voters it spoke to, reported claims that Lula is turning the country into

another Venezuela.

The Washington Post and The Washington Times both previewed what voters should know ahead of a race they described as highly polarized. Jacobin reported, according to its own account, that Bolsonaro has powerful interests backing him and is also counting on support from the Trump administration, while BBC News reported that Brazil has accused the United States of election interference, with Lula and Bolsonaro clashing over sovereignty, security and ties with Washington.

How the coverage differed

Center-leaning outlets, including Reuters, Arab News, the Straits Times, France 24 and Euronews, gave the most detailed, consistent account of the campaign's final day, naming the specific locations — São Paulo for Lula's march and Santa Bárbara d'Oeste and Americana for Bolsonaro's motorcycle caravan — and both candidates' public confidence despite runoff polling. Deutsche Welle, also center-leaning, reported an early vote count putting Bolsonaro ahead of Lula, a claim not echoed elsewhere in the supplied material.

Left-leaning coverage leaned toward voter sentiment and geopolitical framing: NPR highlighted voters dissatisfied with both candidates, while Jacobin focused on alleged U.S. involvement and Trump administration backing for Bolsonaro, an angle right-leaning outlets did not report. CNBC, a center outlet, added a financial angle absent elsewhere, reporting that Wall Street was bracing for sharply different market outcomes depending on who wins.

Right-leaning outlets, such as the New York Post and The Times, emphasized voter concerns about Lula's governance, with the New York Post citing voters who said Lula is turning Brazil into

another Venezuela.

The Times focused on business figures favoring Bolsonaro's son. BBC News, a center outlet, was the only source to detail Brazil's accusation of U.S. election interference, a topic largely absent from right-leaning coverage in this set.