Yes. This happened. If there was one person at the FIFA World Cup 2026 Final who seemed just as excited to see BTS as ARMY were to see them perform, it was iShowSpeed. The popular American streamer had a memorable night at the World Cup Final, from watching BTS perform during the historic halftime show to unexpectedly meeting all seven members backstage.
And, unsurprisingly, the encounter was every bit as chaotic and entertaining as you would expect from iShowSpeed.
“Oh My God! BTS!” iShowSpeed
During the World Cup Final at MetLife Stadium, IShowSpeed was livestreaming his experience from the stadium when he learned that BTS were nearby. He immediately went looking for them. Speed spotted RM and j-hope in a hallway near the stadium suites and excitedly called out to the group, asking for a picture. j-hope was the first member to greet him, and the excitement was obvious on both sides.
What followed was a whirlwind of hugs, handshakes, laughter and greetings as Speed met RM, Jin, SUGA, j-hope, Jimin, V and Jung Kook. For someone with millions of followers, Speed suddenly looked like any other excited fan meeting his favorite artists.
Speed was already going crazy during BTS's Performance. The backstage meeting wasn't actually the first time Speed had shown his excitement over BTS that night. When BTS appeared during the World Cup Final halftime show, his reaction quickly became one of the viral moments surrounding the performance.
The streamer was seen jumping out of his seat, pointing toward the stage, dancing and cheering as BTS performed “Dynamite.” Videos of his reaction spread rapidly across social media. So when he later discovered that BTS were actually nearby, it was almost impossible for him to contain himself.
This wasn't a carefully planned celebrity photo opportunity. It felt much more like a fan suddenly realizing that the artists he'd been watching on the biggest sporting stage in the world were standing just a few steps away. Of course, iShowSpeed couldn't have a normal celebrity meeting.
During the encounter, the streamer performed one of his trademark backflips, leaving BTS reacting with a mixture of surprise, laughter and excitement. The moment was playful between Speed and the members, including the group joining in with his energetic antics.
The moment perfectly matched Speed's larger-than-life personality. And BTS seemed to embrace the chaos. Rather than standing awkwardly for a quick photograph, the members interacted with him, greeted him individually and joined him for a group photo.
One particularly memorable detail from the meeting was RM addressing Speed by his real name, Darren Watkins Jr... his full govenment name! That small moment stood out to fans because it made the interaction feel surprisingly personal. Speed may be known around the world by his online name, but RM calling him Darren added another layer to the encounter.
It was also a reminder that the BTS members are very familiar with the personalities and creators who have become part of the enormous global culture surrounding them. SUGA who is normally more reserved of the BTS members could he heard calling iShowSpeed's name as they walked up towards him. j-hope and Speed's energy were a perfect match. If there was one BTS member who seemed particularly suited to Speed's explosive energy, it was j-hope. The two immediately matched each other's excitement when they met.
j-hope has always been known for his bright personality and energetic stage presence, while Speed has built his entire online persona around unpredictable, high-energy reactions. Put the two in the same hallway and chaos was practically guaranteed.
Fans quickly noticed the chemistry between them, with clips of the encounter spreading across social media shortly after the meeting.
Jung Kook's reaction also caught fans' attention. Jung Kook's reaction to Speed's backflip was another moment that fans couldn't help but notice. The BTS members appeared entertained as Speed continued celebrating the unexpected meeting. The contrast was hilarious, BTS had just performed at one of the biggest events in the world, while Speed was celebrating meeting them like a fan who had just won the lottery.
And honestly, it was one of the most relatable celebrity moments of the night. The entire sequence happened incredibly quickly. Speed went from watching BTS perform at the World Cup Final to finding himself standing alongside the seven members backstage. He greeted them one by one, hugged them, posed for a photo and performed his signature backflip.
For any BTS fan, that would already be an unforgettable night. But Speed had another major moment waiting for him. After meeting BTS, he celebrated Spain's eventual 1–0 victory over Argentina in the World Cup Final. Speed even later joked about the timing, saying, “The moment I met BTS, they scored.”
Obviously, there is no connection between meeting BTS and the match result, but the timing made the story even funnier. The meeting was one of those crossover moments nobody necessarily expected to see.
BTS represent one of the biggest music groups in the world. iShowSpeed has built an enormous global audience through livestreaming, gaming, sports content and his unpredictable personality. Their worlds collided at one of the biggest sporting events on the planet. And the result was pure entertainment. The backstage meeting quickly became part of the larger collection of memorable moments surrounding BTS's historic World Cup appearance.
The interaction continued even after the World Cup Final. iShowSpeed shared content from his meeting with BTS, and V later responded to one of his posts with “We were just as amazed to meet you🙌”
The response quickly attracted enormous attention from fans, with reports saying V's comment surpassed one million likes within a day and went on to become a record-breaking artist comment. It was a fitting response from V because the excitement clearly wasn't one-sided.
Speed was thrilled to meet BTS. And BTS appeared to have just as much fun meeting him.
BTS's FIFA World Cup 2026 appearance was already historic, with the group taking part in the tournament's first-ever Final Halftime Show. But the moments surrounding the performance gave fans even more memories to talk about. There was the spectacular stage.
There was BTS performing “Dynamite.” There was the reaction from fans inside the stadium. And then there was iShowSpeed suddenly running backstage to meet all seven members. It was unexpected, chaotic and completely unforgettable. For Speed, it was the ultimate fan moment. For BTS, it was another memorable celebrity encounter during an extraordinary night. And for ARMY, it was simply hilarious to watch.
BTS and iShowSpeed may come from very different corners of global entertainment, but somehow their World Cup meeting worked perfectly. One thing is certain, when iShowSpeed sees BTS, there is absolutely no chance he's going to play it cool.
Watch the full reaction below
0 Comments