After weeks of speculation, Julieta Venegas clarified that she did not receive 14 million pesos for her participation in “La Niña Futbolista.” In the podcast “What is music?”, the Tijuana native described the rumors as “absurd” and assured that the collaboration was completely free.
The origin of the project
Venegas explained that the invitation came from the Government of Mexico to cover a Patita de Perro song. The intention was to commemorate Children’s Day (April 30) and motivate more girls to play soccer. “I thought it was super nice… a song for the girls to cheer them up,” the 55-year-old singer recalled.
However, the launch was delayed until the end of May. There the song was related to the delivery of tickets for the 2026 World Cup, which changed public perception. The artist pointed out that she never imagined the scope it would have: “No one imagined everything that could happen.”
“I hope that money was invested in culture in one year,” said Venegas about the rumor of the payment.
Settings and reactions
The performer made modifications to the arrangement and lyrics to reinforce a feminist message. “I made some changes to it… I brought it a little to my style,” he commented. These changes sought to support girls, but were interpreted differently by the public.
The artist confessed to feeling sad about how the discussion escalated on the internet. What began as an initiative for children ended in criticism and attacks that moved away from the original objective.




