Julieta Venegas Sparks Controversy With World Cup Song—& Folks Are Missing the Point

We’re only a day away from the 2026 World Cup kicking off, and there’s already backlash unfolding around Julieta Venegas’ new song, “La Niña Futbolista,” which she has already performed ahead of the games. While the song addresses how machismo is still a huge problem in Mexico and the rest of Latin America, some people are bothered and feel that it isn’t appropriate for a World Cup anthem. Apparently, the controversy got so bad that even the comments on the song’s official YouTube video were disabled.

The song tells the story of a girl who loves soccer but faces resistance from both adults and her peers. Her father believes she should be playing with dolls so she can learn how to be a mother, and the boys in her class tell her that girls can’t play soccer. Venegas not only wanted to address machismo in Latine culture but also to remind young girls and women that “Las mujeres de hoy todo pueden ser,” as the lyrics say. The message is clear: girls should be free to pursue their passions and interests without being limited by gender stereotypes and expectations.

The criticism is that the song isn’t really about soccer—and that part is true. It’s clear that Venegas was using soccer as a means of discussing gender inequality. But the song didn’t originate with her; it was written in the 1990s by members of the Mexican children’s rock band Patita de Perro.

In a way, this also helps explain some of the backlash, because when people hear “World Cup song,” they automatically expect something more energetic and unifying—something that celebrates the tournament itself. Instead, the song is more of a message wrapped in women’s empowerment. But I personally understand and appreciate what Venegas was trying to do with this anthem. With an event like the World Cup that draws viewers from all over the world—even non-soccer fans—how powerful is it to use that platform to deliver a universal message that girls and women should be able to define themselves and pursue dreams just as big as anyone else’s? It also highlights some of the obstacles many girls and women still face in sports.

I’d argue that this was a strategically smart move for Julieta Venegas, who is known for exploring similar themes throughout her career, particularly autonomy and the challenge of expectations placed on women. I appreciate how it addresses who still doesn’t get equal access to the World Cup stage—namely, women.

Personally, I think it’s a powerful reframing of a global tournament that has historically been male-dominated, even as women’s soccer continues to grow rapidly. In many ways, the song remains celebratory, honoring soccer as a global sport while acknowledging that, despite women’s soccer finally gaining mainstream attention in terms of access, infrastructure, pay, and respect, it is still nowhere near where men’s soccer is today.

So the tension this song raises for people is the point, done very much in Venegas’ style.

I’m all for using big cultural moments to have conversations about issues that still greatly impact us, and the truth is that “La niña futbolista” highlights something much bigger than soccer itself. It highlights the social conditioning that starts in childhood. As long as we live in a world that says sports are for boys and men, women’s sports will continue to lack the access and funding they need and deserve.

And if that message feels like a mood killer or gives people less motivation to celebrate the World Cup, then I think they’re completely missing the point.

Check out the song and video below.