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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 on Wednesday.

In doing so, Goodell reaffirmed the decision to place the internationally acclaimed singer on the league’s biggest stage, a move that drew criticism from the former president and some of his supporters.

Goodell addressed the debate during his news conference following the annual fall owners meeting. This marks the first time he has publicly remarked on the appointment, which has attracted worldwide attention, including a surge in online plays of Bad Bunny’s music alongside backlash.

“It’s carefully thought through,” Goodell remarked. “I doubt we’ve ever selected an performer where we didn’t have pushback or criticism. It’s challenging to do when you have truly countless viewers of people tuning in.”

The reggaeton star, whose real name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, has been a vocal opponent of the former leader. He recently decided to do a 31-day residency in Puerto Rico, skipping stops in the mainland US, referencing apprehensions about the mass deportation of Hispanic individuals.

The artist, who sings in Spanish, is expected to continue this at the Super Bowl.

“We believe it’s going to be a great show,” Goodell commented. “He understands the platform that he has, and in my view it’s going to be exciting and a united experience.”

The host team are staging the Super Bowl on 8 February at Levi’s Stadium in the Bay Area. There is uncertainty if the former president plans to be there, although he has made appearing in person at major sporting events a significant part of his current presidency.

The political figure in an interview on right-leaning media Newsmax claimed he had “no knowledge of” Bad Bunny.

“I don’t know his identity,” Trump said. “I can’t comprehend the reasoning behind it. It’s, like, crazy. And then, they blame it on an outside booker they contracted to select entertainment. I think it’s absolutely ridiculous.”

The commissioner defended the decision on Wednesday, clarifying it was made because of the artist’s immense popularity.

“He’s one of the leading and most popular entertainers in the world,” Goodell affirmed. “This is exactly what we try to accomplish. It represents a crucial platform for us. It serves as a key element to the overall experience.”