Lula has publicly declined every invitation to multi-candidate debates ahead of Brazil’s October 4 first-round presidential vote, including the final TV Globo event on October 1. He cited the format’s limited response time, lack of continuity, and risk of turning into unproductive exchanges or attacks from lower-polling rivals, preferring one-on-one clashes only in a potential runoff. The Globo debate was ultimately canceled after both Lula and frontrunner Flávio Bolsonaro withdrew, with Lula instead appearing on a podcast. No debates featuring the incumbent occurred during the campaign window, producing near-certain trader consensus on non-participation. A sudden schedule change or court-mandated event before polls close remains a narrow theoretical possibility but lacks supporting developments.