Just hours after the final whistle, Super Bowl LX is already being talked about as one of those nights that will live on for years. From a crushing defensive masterclass to a halftime show that has everyone talking, the game in Santa Clara had everything. 

The Seattle Seahawks are champions once again, the New England Patriots walked away with an unwanted record, and fans were left buzzing over moments on and off the field. Here’s a clear, easy look at the 20 biggest stories and takeaways from Super Bowl 2026.

Bad Bunny turns halftime into a cultural moment: “God bless America”… all of it

Bad Bunny created one of the biggest viral moments of the night.  During his appearance, the singer said, “God bless America,” and then went on to name every single country in North and South America.

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Social media instantly lit up. Many called it a quiet but powerful statement, with one viral post describing it as “absolute king energy.” The moment was shared across platforms within minutes and quickly became one of the most replayed clips of the night.

The ‘Canada’ moment that broke TikTok

Another unexpected highlight came from the way Bad Bunny pronounced just one word. His shoutout to “Canada” caught viewers off guard. TikTok was flooded with remixes, slow-motion edits and parody videos, all centred around that single pronunciation. By the end of the night, “Canada” had become a meme of its own.

The Grammy hand-off and the rumour that followed

During the show, Bad Bunny surprised viewers by handing his actual Grammy Award to a child who appeared on stage with him. The internet wrongly identified the child as a well-known migrant boy, triggering a heated debate online. 

However, It was later confirmed that the little boy seen during Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show was five-year-old actor and model Lincoln Fox.

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Trump lashes out at Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show

US President Donald Trump slammed Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime performance, calling it “absolutely terrible” and saying “nobody understands a word” of what the Puerto Rican singer was saying on stage.

He went on to call the show one of the worst in Super Bowl history.

“The Super Bowl Halftime Show is absolutely terrible, one of the worst, EVER! It makes no sense, is an affront to the Greatness of America, and doesn’t represent our standards of Success, Creativity, or Excellence,” he added.

The Live legal wedding

In the middle of his performance, Bad Bunny suddenly stopped the music and turned his attention to the crowd. He handed a ring to a man standing below the stage. The man dropped to one knee and proposed to his girlfriend right there, with tens of thousands of fans watching.

The newly engaged couple were brought up on stage, where a fully legal wedding ceremony took place in front of nearly 75,000 people.

Kim Kardashian and Lewis Hamilton ‘hard launch’ their relationship

Not every love story involved vows, but cameras inside the stadium kept cutting to one pair in particular. Kim Kardashian and Formula One star Lewis Hamilton were seen sitting together in a luxury suite throughout the night.

The repeated shots only added fuel to dating rumours that had been swirling for months. While neither has confirmed anything, many fans saw it as a very public sign that something may be going on.

Green Day’s charged opening sets the tone

Before the game even kicked off, things were already tense. Bay Area legends Green Day opened the pregame with a performance that many described as openly political.

According to reports, the set was so charged that it led to a pre-emptive “anti-them” message from the White House. While details were debated, fans agreed on one thing: the night was never going to be just about sports.

X struggles as the internet floods in

As the halftime show peaked, X, formerly known as Twitter, struggled to keep up. Users reported major outages and delayed notifications as traffic surged to record levels.

Many joked that the platform “lost the Super Bowl,” while others shared screenshots of frozen feeds as proof of the chaos.

Sam Darnold’s redemption arc goes viral

On the football side, one of the most talked-about stories was Sam Darnold’s turnaround. Once mocked endlessly online, the quarterback completed a full 180-degree career shift.

From being remembered for “seeing ghosts” to lifting the Lombardi Trophy, Darnold’s journey sparked celebration across Reddit. His subreddit, r/The_Darnold, became the most active sports community on the platform within hours of the win.

Patriots fans face brutal trolling

For New England fans, the night was rough. The Patriots’ latest defeat pushed their Super Bowl record to 0–4 in their last four appearances.

Online, rivals wasted no time. Fans declared the loss as final proof of the “post-Brady curse,” with memes and jokes flooding timelines well into the early hours.

Seattle’s defence dominates the headlines

Seattle’s defence was relentless, sacking rookie quarterback Drake Maye five times. The performance earned them a new nickname online, “Legion of Boom 2.0.”

Political counter-programming falls apart

Away from the game, Turning Point USA attempted to run a rival “Patriotic Halftime” featuring Kid Rock. The plan backfired.

The stream was removed from X at the last minute due to licensing issues and was hurriedly shifted to YouTube, where it drew far less attention than expected.

Tim Robinson steals the ad crown

In the world of commercials, Tim Robinson won the “Ad of the Night” for his Rippling commercial.

In the ad, the I Think You Should Leave star played a corporate villain whose elaborate plans collapse because of bad software. Viewers praised it for being funny without trying too hard.

Lady Gaga meets Pokémon

Lady Gaga surprised fans in a surreal Pokémon advertisement. Asking, “What’s your favourite?” Within hours, social media was flooded with drawings and jokes about “Gaga-mon,” making it one of the most unexpected pop culture crossovers of the night.

‘Ice Out’ Bad Bunny trends worldwide

As clips circulated, the phrase “Ice Out” began trending. Fans debated whether Bad Bunny’s performance and comments were a direct response to the administration’s current immigration policies.

Ticket prices crash before kickoff

One of the biggest surprises came even before the game started. Ticket prices reportedly fell by nearly 40 percent in the final 48 hours before kickoff.

With prices dropping to around $3,500, many scalpers were left taking losses, prompting headlines mocking the “Super Bowl crash.”

AI brands enter their big marketing era

One of the biggest surprises of the night was how aggressively AI companies showed up. OpenAI and Anthropic aired commercials back-to-back. This was the moment many felt, AI companies have stopped acting like quiet tech firms and started marketing themselves like global consumer brands.

Sabrina Carpenter’s strange Pringles moment

Pop star Sabrina Carpenter made her Super Bowl ad debut in a Pringles commercial that was hard to explain and impossible to ignore. The ad featured a bizarre mascot made from different snack textures, quickly nicknamed “FrankenPringles” online.

Fans find cheaper ways to snack

Away from the ads, fans at home were dealing with something else, rising food prices. With wings and chips costing more than ever, “Snackflation” became a real talking point.

Social media filled up with DIY snack boards, football-shaped cheese balls, and budget-friendly party ideas, many styled straight out of Pinterest.

90s nostalgia hits hard

Nostalgia ruled the night, especially for Millennials. T-Mobile and Coinbase both tapped into 90s pop culture by featuring the Backstreet Boys in high-energy commercials.