From ‘Benito Bowl’ to the mountains of Milan, Haiti stays viral across the globe

Over the weekend, Haiti surfaced across global screens through a series of high-profile moments spanning music and sports that brought much delight to its diaspora. From the Super Bowl halftime show in California to the Winter Olympics in Italy, the country has appeared in viral clips that quickly circulated online. Below is a roundup of some of the most visible moments, based on publicly available broadcasts, competition footage and social media posts.

1. Haiti appears during Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show

@mickaelmarabou Bad Bunny kraze sa!!! 🇵🇷🇵🇷🇵🇷🇭🇹🇭🇹🇭🇹🇭🇹🇭🇹🇭🇹🇭🇹🇭🇹 #ayisyentiktok #ayisyentiktok🇭🇹 #tiktokayisyen #haitiantiktok ♬ New Sun – Chihei Hatakeyama

During the Super Bowl halftime performance by Bad Bunny — whose real name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio — the artist closed his set with a visual montage that displayed the names and flags of countries from The Americas, including the Caribbean islands, as he cited a slew of them by name. On the NFL broadcast, which fans of the artist had dubbed the “Benito Bowl,” a performer waved Haiti’s red-and blue bicolore — though she was initially off the main screen.

Some saw it during the broadcast and said they heard Bad Bunny list “Haiti” in Spanish. Others didn’t, prompting sleuths to find and post other angles of the show to YouTube, Instagram and TikToks proving Haiti was indeed part of the unexpected parade of flags at the Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif.

In the end, the “did he or didn’t he say Haiti” question was answered when closed captions helped confirm that Bad Bunny did cite the First Black Republic’s name as he sent his message of togetherness across the hemisphere to viewers across the globe. 

2. Haitian cross-country skier completes Winter Olympics race in Italy 

Meanwhile in Italy, Haiti gained attention when cross-country skier Stevenson Savart took to the slopes in a 75-nation race. He finished 64th, but won much admiration for representing a Caribbean nation not known for the winter sport. 

Video of Savart finishing the course was reposted across multiple platforms, with international viewers taking to social media to express surprise and delight at seeing the tropical country in a winter sport. 

3. Viral clip shows confusion among Haitian team officials

Another clip that circulated widely showed members of the Haitian delegation appearing unaware in real time that the skier had finished his race. According to videos shared by spectators and journalists on social media, the moment unfolded shortly after the athlete crossed the finish line. The footage was reposted thousands of times and became a focal point of online discussion.

 4. Haiti’s team uniforms stays on people’s feeds

Outside of the athletes, the Haiti Team’s uniform design by Haitian Italian designer Stella Jean continues to appear in people’s timelines as more people viewed the opening ceremonies and the began streaming the games.

The design takes cues from a painting by Haitian artist Edouard Duval-Carrié and originally including the revolutionary leader Toussaint Louverture on a red horse. The International Olympic Committee required Louverture’s figure be removed to meet  neutrality rules. Jean decided to keep the red, riderless horse, lending symbolic power and beauty to the uniform — and earning flowers from fashionistas and Haitian diaspora worldwide.

5. Homegrown football stars continue to display excellence

Closer to home, Haiti’s under-17 soccer teams continue to showcase the country’s talent during matches around the Caribbean.

Saturday, the U-17 boy’s team scored a dominant 4–0 victory over Antigua and Barbuda, putting it one win away from qualifying for the 2026 FIFA U-17 World Cup — and making history in the process. A win in its next match would send Haiti to a second straight U-17 World Cup — something no Haitian team at this level has achieved before.

Days prior, the U17 girls team won a fourth straight commanding victory in its qualifying matches. When Dieunie Love Beaubrun, one of the prodigies from that team returned to her hometown, Jérémie, over the weekend, she was warmly greeted with a parade accompanied by rara as she sat atop a car rolling around the city.

6. Diaspora sharing amplifies global visibility

Across each of these moments, Haitians in the diaspora played a central role in amplifying visibility. According to repost patterns and account data visible on social platforms, users based in the United States, Canada, Europe and the Caribbean helped push these clips into broader circulation, extending their reach well beyond Haitian audiences.

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