NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell broke his silence on the backlash over the league’s decision to name Bad Bunny the 2026 Super Bowl halftime show headliner, saying that despite criticism from the Trump administration and the public, he stands by the choice.
“He’s one of the leading and most popular entertainers in the world. That’s what we try to achieve. It’s an important stage for us. It’s an important element to the entertainment value, and it’s carefully thought through,” Goodell said at the NFL’s fall meeting Wednesday according to media reports. “I’m not sure we’ve ever selected an artist where we didn’t have some blowback and criticism. It’s pretty hard to do.”
The commissioner did add however that there might be more artists that join the Puerto Rican singer on stage at Super Bowl LX. “I am not saying that there won’t be additional talent that might be involved but that’s always the way it works,” Goodell said.
Indeed, he’s right. Over the last several years the NFL, which produces the show in partnership with Jay Z’s Roc Nation has featured surprise artists. Last year’s Kendrick Lamar-led show, included SZA, Serena Williams and Samuel L. Jackson. In 2024, Usher’s performance brought out Ludacris, Alicia Keys and Lil Jon.
Bad Bunny was announced as the headliner late last month. The Puerto Rican singer set the gig after a highly-profitable residency in Puerto Rico that reportedly added $733 million to the island’s economy. He will next tour in Europe and South America and previously spoke about not setting dates in the United States due to concerns ICE would target his performances.
“What I’m feeling goes beyond myself. It’s for those who came before me and ran countless yards so I could come in and score a touchdown … this is for my people, my culture and our history. Ve y dile a tu abuela, que seremos el HALFTIME SHOW DEL SUPER BOWL,” Bad Bunny said in a statement.
The decision was quickly met with blowback from conservatives who argued that Bad Bunny was “un-American” despite being from Puerto Rico which is a territory of the United States. Donald Trump also spoke out against the singer claiming he didn’t even know who the Grammy-winning reggaeton musician was and slammed the NFL for its decision.
“I’ve never heard of him, I don’t know who he is,” Trump said during an appearance on Newsmax’s “Greg Kelly Reports.” “I don’t know why they’re doing it. It’s, like, crazy. And then they blame it on some promoter that they hired to pick up entertainment. I think it’s absolutely ridiculous.”
