Not only did Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl Halftime Show break records, but it was extra meaningful to the global icon for reasons beyond the music.
Bad Bunny, whose real name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, wore a No. 64 jersey during his historic performance on Sunday at Levi’s Stadium, and his reps later shared with Complex the meaning behind it.
And the 49ers Faithful are in for a treat.
“The number 64 marks the birth year of his late uncle, Cutito, from whom he learned much of what he knows about the NFL and who first shared with him a love for the San Francisco 49ers,” reps for Bad Bunny told Complex. “Worn during his Super Bowl halftime performance, ‘64’ was a quiet, deeply personal tribute, one meant to carry his uncle’s presence with him on the biggest stage.”
From being a little boy in Puerto Rico watching 49ers games with his uncle, to several years later performing on one of the biggest stages in America in the stadium where his favorite team plays is quite a full-circle moment, to say the least.
Of course, he would have enjoyed it more if his team, the 49ers, were playing in the game.
But, he’s hopeful and confident it will happen soon for the Red and Gold.
Bad Bunny also spoke exclusively to Harper’s Bazaar about his wardrobe choice and what it meant to him to pay tribute to his late uncle on the Super Bowl stage.
“Everything that I know about the NFL is thanks to him,” Bad Bunny shared. “When he was 17, he left to work in the United States, and he never returned to Puerto Rico—though he always came to visit and stayed with us at the end of January or beginning of February. That was peak NFL postseason, so I always watched the games with him. He was a big fan of the San Francisco 49ers, and their home stadium is where the Super Bowl took place this year.
“He died two years ago, a short time after the 49ers lost against Kansas City in the 2024 Super Bowl. I always dreamed of taking my uncle to a Super Bowl one year, but I couldn’t; his death was sudden and without warning. So I decided to bring him on my shirt when I performed at the Super Bowl: Ocasio, his last name, the same as my mom, along with his birth year, ’64. I dedicated my show before I began; I am sure he saw it, he was present, and he felt proud of his nephew.
“Now all we need is for the 49ers to one day win the Super Bowl again.”
Touché.
