Fuerza Regida joined Billboard Latin Music Week on Tuesday (Oct. 20) for a Superstar Q&A helmed by Memo Ochoa. During the one-of-a-kind conversation, the Mexican soccer star and San Bernardino-based group bonded over their challenging road to success, their love for soccer, and even their best workout and dieting secrets.
Read some of the best quotes from the conversation below:
Memo on the start of his career with Club América: “I was born in Jalisco. My family liked soccer, but they didn’t really know anything about it; however, I had an uncle who coached, and I would go with him to practice. At age 10, I moved to Mexico City, and I was fortunate to begin my career at Club América at a very young age—when I was 18. América is the biggest, the most important, and the most successful club. After that, the responsibilities grew and carried a lot of weight.”
Fuerza Regida’s JOP on who inspired him to sing: “Ever since I was little, I’ve enjoyed singing, thanks to my dad. He isn’t a musician, but I know he sings well. He’s the one who inspired me to sing. The first song I learned was ‘Sonora y sus Ojazos Negros.’ When I was 18, a friend asked me to write a song… and by the fourth or fifth one, I had a hit. JOP was 20 when he achieved his first hit—you can have a dream, but if you don’t work on it every single day, you won’t make it a reality.”
JOP on his record label Street Mob Records: “Every artist is different. I work with several artists and songwriters, and while they are all talented, they don’t all work the same way. Many people want to make it big but don’t put in the effort; they think that signing with a record label or having a viral song is all it takes to succeed.”
Memo on his secret to success: “I started at age 15, and I had many coaches who didn’t believe in me, but I always believed in myself, and the same thing happened once I turned professional. After achieving success, you have to know how to reinvent yourself and be self-critical. To become the goalkeeper I thought I was, I had to start from scratch—and understand just how much I was willing to sacrifice for my dreams in order to go far. Success can make you lose your bearings. You have to stay resilient.”
Fuerza Regida is a 12-time finalist at the Billboard Latin Music Awards. This year, Peso Pluma leads the list of finalists with 17 entries, including Artist of the Year; Top Latin Album of the Year for DINASTÍA with Tito Double P; and Regional Mexican Artist of the Year, Solo. The música mexicana star is followed by Tito Double P with 15 mentions, Fuerza with 12, Karol G with nine, Prince Royce with eight, and Bad Bunny with seven.
Additionally, Cristian Castro will be honored with the Billboard Lifetime Achievement Award; Fuerza Regida will receive the Billboard Vanguard Award; Rosalía will receive the Hall of Fame Award; and Rubén Blades will be honored with the Billboard Icon Award.
Hosted by Carmen Villalobos and Javier Poza, The 2026 Billboard Latin Music Awards will broadcast live on Oct. 22 via Telemundo and Peacock from James L. Knight Center in Downtown Miami. It will also be available on Universo and the Telemundo app, as well as throughout Latin America and the Caribbean via Telemundo Internacional.
