Santa Clara (United States) (AFP) – The Seattle Seahawks won a second Super Bowl by stifling the New England Patriots 29-13 on Sunday in Santa Clara (California), where Bad Bunny produced a wild halftime show with a message of unity for the American continent.
Published on: 02/08/2026 - 03:15 Modified on: 02/09/2026 - 05:25
In a tense context, the Puerto Rican artist, denouncer of Donald Trump's violent anti-immigration policy, did not use the unique platform of the grand final of the NFL American football championship to send a direct political message. Trump took care of this by immediately denouncing his performance as “an affront to the greatness of America”.
The match, which remained closed for a long time without any "touchdown" at the break (9-0 for Seattle), got carried away in its second part to end with a demonstration by the Seahawks, titled for the second time after 2014.
The Washington State franchise had not played in a Super Bowl since a defeat in the final against the Patriots of “GOAT” (greatest of all time) Tom Brady in 2015.
The Patriots, after several moribund seasons, were aiming for a record 7th title after the six gleaned between 2002 and 2019 with the legendary quarterback.
His heir Drake Maye, second best player of the NFL season, finally looked his age (23 years old) during this high-tension match, where the opposing defense successfully harassed him (6 sacks).
Trump attacks Bad Bunny
The traditional half-time show was, as is often the case, at least as anticipated as the meeting, taking on a political dimension this year with the choice of Bad Bunny, who hosted a wild show highlighting Puerto Rican culture and some of his biggest hits.
A world star with his reggaeton mixed with Latin trap, the choice of the Puerto Rican upset Donald Trump who did not make the trip to the match, unlike last year in New Orleans.
A week after calling for US federal immigration police to be “ICE out” during his triumph at the Grammy Awards, Bad Bunny did not deliver a direct political message.
The artist, however, concluded his show by diverting the usual "God Bless America" in the United States, to make it a slogan to the glory of the entire Continent, finishing by bringing to the screen a US soccer ball bearing the message "Together, we are America".
“The only thing more powerful than hate is love,” was written on the giant screens of the stadium during this show mainly in Spanish, except for a song by Lady Gaga.
Trump quickly responded with a angry message on his social network Truth denouncing a “horrible” spectacle. “No one understands a word this guy says and the dances are disgusting,” he further raged, seeing it as “a slap in the face of our country”, where more than 41 million people speak Spanish according to official figures.
Un 4e quart-temps animé
The major annual event for spectator sports and marketing brought together 75,000 spectators at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, southeast of San Francisco, which will also host six Football World Cup matches this summer. Fans were able to treat themselves to a roast beef shank burger for $180 or even see a plethora of stars: Cardi B, Pedro Pascal and Jessica Alba furtively on stage, Roger Federer, Jay-Z and even Justin Bieber in the stands.
After building a cushion of 12 points, the Seahawks both scored and conceded two touchdowns in the 4th quarter, achieving several decisive interceptions thanks to their defense.
The Washington State team was able to count on its own ball handler Sam Darnold (28 years old, one touchdown, more than 200 passing yards), anonymous passed without success by four franchises before finding the light in the northwest of the country this season.
“It’s incredible. To succeed with this team after everything that’s happened in my career…” he reacted.
The Seahawks have long played on velvet using the power of their running back Kenneth Walker, voted man of the match with 135 yards gained with ball in hand, and the kicks of Jason Myers (5 goals, a record).
“We faced a lot of adversity this year, we managed to stay together to be rewarded,” concluded Walker.
© 2026 AFP
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