BTS Army bets big on Love Island USA couple, but will it work?

Fiji - BTS Army isn't known to mess around, showing up in droves to support the men — or supporters — of the band. And it seems like the Army might just influence who wins Love Island USA 2026.

The finale of Love Island USA 2026 airs July 12 on Peacock.
The finale of Love Island USA 2026 airs July 12 on Peacock.  © Collage: Courtesy of Peacock

It's the crossover many couldn't have spotted from a mile away: BTS meets Love Island. With the stage now set for Sunday's epic finale in the villa, there's a chance the BTS Army could have a major hand in deciding which couple wins the $100,000 cash prize.

There's a clear winner on the federally regulated market prediction site Kalshi — Bryce and Trinity. Still, with the secret push from BTS Army to support one of their own, there's a chance a dark horse named Carl could stun viewers and islanders alike.

When voting opened following the penultimate episode, a noticeable push to vote for a certain contestant's couple took over X and other social media platforms. It wasn't the Melanie stans, but rather internet sleuths and highly dedicated fans who allege that Carl — who is coupled up with Aniya (aka, the daughter of former NBA star Donnell Harvey) — is a BTS fan.

An old photo of Carl wearing a BTS basketball-style jersey has been making its rounds on social media platforms, mostly shared by BTS fans begging U.S.-based Army members to vote for Carl and Aniya (also known as Carniya) to win it all.

"ATTENTION ALL ARMYS, CARL IS A BTS FAN," read a post by X user @prtojepssy. "ARMYS VOTE CARNIYA TO HAVE OUR FIRST ARMY LOVE ISLAND WINNER."

X user @luffyfromatl also pleaded with fans, writing, "US ARMYS WE NEED YOUR HELP AND QUICK!! Tonight is the final vote for love island USA and we want to make sure two armys, Aniya & Carl, win! They have both attended bts concerts!"

BTS Army rallies for Love Island USA couple

If you're unaware of the power of the BTS Army, consider this: A BTS fan blog estimates the K-pop boy band has up to roughly 136 million fans worldwide.

But, given that viewers must live in the U.S. and have a U.S. phone number to verify their account on the Love Island app to vote, the number of BTS fans who were able to cast votes for Carl and Aniya is likely lower.

Will the Army bring enough votes to knock out the clear frontrunner in the milestone finale, which will feature four black women for the first time in Love Island USA history? Tune into Peacock at 9 p.m. ET on Sunday to find out.

Cover photo: Collage: Courtesy of Peacock

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