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Julieta Venegas revived the song “La Niña Futbolista,” an old track by the Mexican children’s rock band Patita de Perro, in an exciting new version accompanied by the Mexican National Conservatory of Music Choir. The song, along with its video, was unveiled on Friday (May 29) by the Mexican government to promote messages of inclusion and women’s participation in sports ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The original 2003 track was written by Ignacio Silva. Venegas’ new version, with arrangements by producer Yamil Rezc, came about through an invitation from Mexico’s Ministry of Women, a federal agency that promotes women’s advancement through gender equality and respect for human rights.
“I really liked being invited by the Ministry of Women to create a version of ‘La Niña Futbolista,’” Venegas said in a statement to Billboard Español. “The whole time we were working on the song, I imagined a girl who dreams of playing soccer, and someone telling her she can’t do it.”
“I think all women have, at some point, been told there’s something a woman supposedly ‘can’t do,’” added the Tijuana-born singer-songwriter, who recently received the Artistic Excellence Award at Billboard Latin Women in Music 2026. “I wanted to inspire girls and women not to let anything hold them back, but to go after what they want. I made it with a lot of love. I hope it inspires them to play and have fun.”
During the song’s presentation at President Claudia Sheinbaum’s morning conference, Culture Secretary Claudia Curiel de Icaza recalled that the idea to invite Venegas originated months ago as a proposal by Citlalli Hernández, the then-minister of Women.
Curiel de Icaza later explained on X: “This project was born at the @mujeresgobmx with @CitlaHM in collaboration with @cultura_mx to share a very clear message with girls and boys: the field is also for girls, and no dream should be limited by stereotypes.”
The track, featuring empowering lyrics, comes with a video produced by the public broadcaster Canal 22 and was recorded at the legendary Estudios Churubusco, the largest film production facility in Latin America, where great classics from the Golden Age of Mexican Cinema were filmed.
The presentation of the song is part of Mexico’s official activities leading up to the 2026 World Cup, which the country is cohosting alongside the United States and Canada. This will mark the third time the Latin American nation is hosting World Cup matches, following the 1970 and 1986 editions.
The opening ceremony will take place on June 11 at Estadio Ciudad de México (Estadio Banorte, formerly known as Estadio Azteca) with a musical show featuring major artists such as Maná, Alejandro Fernández, J Balvin, Belinda, Lila Downs, Los Ángeles Azules, Danny Ocean and Tyla.
Watch the video for “La Niña Futbolista” above.
