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America's top football league has no plans to remove Bad Bunny as the headline performer for the Super Bowl halftime show, League chief Roger Goodell announced on Wednesday.

With this affirmation, Goodell stood by the choice to place the internationally acclaimed singer on the league’s biggest stage, a move that drew negative reactions from the former president and his political base.

Goodell commented on the controversy during his news conference following the annual fall owners meeting. This marks the first time he has publicly remarked on the selection, which has attracted global interest, including a rise in online plays of Bad Bunny’s music alongside backlash.

“The decision was thoroughly considered,” the commissioner remarked. “I doubt we have chosen an artist where we avoided some blowback or criticism. It’s pretty hard to do when you have truly hundreds of millions of fans tuning in.”

Bad Bunny, born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, has been a outspoken critic of the former leader. He recently opted to do a 31-day residency in his homeland, avoiding stops in the continental United States, referencing apprehensions about the mass deportation of Hispanic individuals.

The 31-year-old, who performs in Spanish, is expected to do so at the big game.

“We’re confident it will deliver a spectacular performance,” the NFL commissioner commented. “He is aware of the opportunity that he has, and in my view it will prove exciting and a unifying experience.”

The San Francisco 49ers are staging the championship game on 8 February at the Santa Clara venue in Santa Clara, California. There is uncertainty if Trump plans to attend, though he has made appearing in person at high-profile games a significant part of his second term.

Trump in an interview on conservative news network Newsmax said he had “no knowledge of” Bad Bunny.

“I don’t know who he is,” he stated. “I can’t comprehend the reasoning behind it. It’s, like, crazy. And then, they attribute it to some promoter they hired to pick up entertainment. In my opinion it’s completely unreasonable.”

The commissioner supported the decision this week, clarifying it was determined because of the artist’s immense popularity.

“He ranks among the top and most popular performers in the world,” he affirmed. “That’s what we aim to accomplish. It represents a crucial platform for us. It’s an important component to the entertainment value.”