'Red is danger,' Neymar's defense; see what presidential candidates said about Brazil's debut

On the day of Brazil's World Cup debut, presidential hopefuls traded campaign trails for social media, offering commentary and support for the national team. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, donning a Seleção jersey, urged players to play with "grit and soul" and be objective in their pursuit of goals. In a video posted online, Lula, who has followed World Cups since the 1950s, advised the coach to encourage the team to play "thinking about the Brazilian people."

Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, a leading opponent of Lula, used a live broadcast to defend Neymar, who was absent from the match against Morocco. He criticized "a large part of the media" for "pleasure in destroying the idols" of the country, calling for an "always 100% performance" from athletes, which he deemed humanly impossible. Neymar had declared his vote for Jair Bolsonaro in the 2022 election.

Other candidates also weighed in. Former Minas Gerais Governor Romeu Zema posted on Instagram stories that "red is danger," referring to Morocco's jersey color, and that the number 13 "never did Brazil any good," alluding to the match date and the Workers' Party (PT). He also compared international trade negotiations to football matches, emphasizing the need to face them "with heads held high" and "without accepting threats."

Former Goiás Governor Ronaldo Caiado appeared in a video before the game, confident in his team's ability to "decide the game." Renan Santos, a candidate from the Missão party, shared a report on candidates' predictions for the match, stating, "We need to be sincere about Brazilian problems all the time." Augusto Cury, a pre-candidate for the Avante party, criticized sports betting sites on the eve of the tournament.