Roger Goodell defends Bad Bunny as Super Bowl LX halftime performer: 'It's carefully thought through'

The NFL's decision to select Bad Bunny as the halftime performer for Super Bowl LX has been met with some backlash from conservative corners of the internet, with some going as far as to call the Puerto Rican megastar "anti-American." Despite the controversy, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell defended the league's decision on Tuesday.

"He's one of the leading and most popular entertainers in the world," Goodell said. "That's what we try to achieve... It's carefully thought through. I don't think we're ever selected an artist without some blowback or criticism."

Goodell is correct about Bad Bunny's popularity. The 31-year-old is the most streamed artist in the world and has won three Grammy awards while being nominated 10 times. Bad Bunny has also won the American Music Award for Favorite Latin Artist and the BET Award for Single of the Year for his hit song "I Like It" with Cardi B and J Balvin.

In addition to his musical success, Bad Bunny has made a splash in other entertainment arenas. He drew rave reviews from wrestling fans for his performance in matches in the WWE ring and was also one of the stars of "Happy Gilmore 2," which was released in July.

President Donald Trump was among those who criticized the NFL for their Super Bowl halftime selection, saying during an appearance on Newsmax, "I don't know who he is. I don't know why they're doing it -- it's, like, crazy. They blame it on some promoter they hired to pick up entertainment. I think it's absolutely ridiculous."

The 60th edition of the Super Bowl will be played on Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026, on NBC. The game will be held at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California, home of the San Francisco 49ers.

The Super Bowl halftime show is one of the most-viewed musical performances of the year and features several guest artists joining the main performer. The NFL has yet to announce any special guests who will join Bad Bunny in February.

Controversy surrounding the Super Bowl halftime show has become an annual tradition, from the infamous Justin Timberlake and Janet Jackson "wardrobe malfunction," to Kendrick Lamar's 2025 performance leading to complaints over a lack of diversity five days before Lamar won five Grammys for "Not Like Us."

No selection will be a hit for everyone, but Goodell has now made it clear that the NFL thought through the choice to put Bad Bunny on one of the biggest stages of the year.