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America's top football league will not drop the global music icon as the headline performer for the prestigious mid-game entertainment, League chief Roger Goodell announced this week.

In doing so, Goodell stood by the choice to feature the Puerto Rican artist on the most-watched platform, a move that drew criticism from Donald Trump and some of his supporters.

Goodell addressed the controversy during his news conference following the league's autumn gathering. This marks the first time he has spoken out on the selection, which has attracted worldwide attention, including a surge in streams of Bad Bunny’s music alongside backlash.

“The decision was thoroughly considered,” Goodell said. “I doubt we’ve ever selected an artist where we avoided some blowback or disapproval. It’s pretty hard to do when you have truly countless viewers of fans that are watching.”

Bad Bunny, whose real name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, has been a outspoken critic of the former leader. He recently decided to do a month-long concert series in his homeland, skipping stops in the mainland US, referencing apprehensions about the expulsion of Hispanic individuals.

The artist, who sings primarily in his native language, is anticipated to continue this at the Super Bowl.

“We believe it’s going to be a spectacular performance,” Goodell commented. “He understands the platform that he has, and I think it’s going to be thrilling and a united experience.”

The host team are staging the Super Bowl on February 8 at the Santa Clara venue in Santa Clara, California. It is unclear if Trump plans to be there, although he has made physical attendance at major sporting events a significant part of his second term.

The political figure during a discussion on conservative news network Newsmax claimed he had “never heard of” Bad Bunny.

“I’m unfamiliar with who he is,” he said. “I can’t comprehend the reasoning behind it. It seems absurd. And then, they attribute it to some promoter they contracted to pick up talent. In my opinion it’s absolutely ridiculous.”

The commissioner defended the choice this week, explaining it was made because of the artist’s massive fanbase.

“He ranks among the top and most popular performers in the world,” Goodell affirmed. “This is exactly what we aim to achieve. It represents a crucial stage for the league. It’s an important element to the entertainment value.”