Over the past month, BTS have successfully wrapped up both the European leg of their world tour and their historic performance at the 2026 FIFA World Cup Halftime Show, achieving an extraordinary series of milestones along the way!
The group drew a total of 717,000 attendees throughout their European tour, with every single concert selling out. Their final two shows at Stade de fяαи¢є each attracted 92,000 spectators, setting a new record for the largest single-night attendance in the history of BTS's world tours. One of the most talked-about moments from the Paris concerts was French President Emmanuel Macron and First Lady Brigitte Macron waving ARMY Bombs while enthusiastically cheering for the group.
Meanwhile, BTS's performance at the 2026 FIFA World Cup Final Halftime Show received widespread acclaim from global fans, football au∂ιєnces, legendary football figures, and numerous celebrities both in South кσяєα and abroad. Following the historic stage, Google searches for "BTS" more than doubled compared to the group's March comeback, highlighting the mαѕѕive global media impact generated by the performance.
Just around 10 hours after completing their historic World Cup performance, the BTS members were spotted at Newark Liberty International Airport preparing to return to South кσяєα. A video captured by a fan who happened to run into the group at the airport quickly spread across multiple social media platforms, drawing thousands of views and comments from fans worldwide.
In the viral clip, the members appeared in comfortable casual outfits while effortlessly attracting attention with their striking visuals. The group was escorted by airport security personnel, managers, and a team of bodyguards. Although the members appeared to be in relatively good spirits despite their demanding schedule, fans could still see signs of exhaustion on their faces after spending several consecutive days traveling across different countries.
However, another detail quickly caught ARMY's attention. Only five members appeared in the airport video, with j-hope and Jungkook noticeably absent. The absence of the two members from the flight back to South кσяєα immediately sparked curiosity among fans, who began wondering why they had not traveled home with the rest of the group despite completing both the European tour and the FIFA World Cup schedule.
Soon afterward, several plausible explanations began circulating online!
Many fans believe that j-hope is expected to fly to London to attend Samsung's Galaxy Unpacked event. Samsung Electronics is scheduled to unveil its latest foldable smartphones—including the Galaxy Z Fold8, Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra, and Galaxy Z Flip8—at the event in London on July 22.
This speculation gained further momentum after Samsung officially introduced j-hope as the newest face of Samsung Galaxy through promotional posters and campaign videos just a few days earlier. Even more intriguingly, on July 20, j-hope α¢¢ι∂єитally uploaded an Instagram Story featuring the purple Galaxy Z Fold8 Wide before quickly deleting the post, further fueling fans' theories.
As for Jungkook, fans speculate that he may have also returned to Europe for an individual schedule. However, the theory attracting the most attention centers on a possible collaboration with Balenciaga, a luxury fashion house that has maintained connections with BTS's Golden Maknae for several years.
Particularly over the past year, Jungkook and Balenciaga appear to have grown increasingly close. In October last year, he was spotted using the black BALENCIAGA CHIPS phone case, priced at approximately US$925, even before the product had officially launched worldwide. After completing his mandatory military service, Jungkook has repeatedly been seen wearing Balenciaga pieces, including the Army Space Backpack and the Trompe L'Œil tracksuit.
Most notably, during BTS's recent two-night concerts in Paris, Balenciaga reportedly created a custom performance outfit specifically for Jungkook's opening stage. Beyond that, from soundcheck through the main concert, he appeared dressed in Balenciaga almost head-to-toe—from his necklace and boots to his stage outfits—further intensifying speculation that an official partnership between the singer and the luxury brand could be on the horizon.
Nevertheless, as of now, no official announcement has been made regarding either j-hope's or Jungkook's individual schedules. As a result, all of the theories circulating among fans remain purely speculative, and further confirmation will be needed before any conclusions can be drawn.
