Blatter says he's been 'godfather' for women's soccer

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ZURICH (AP) — Describing himself as a "godfather" to women's soccer at FIFA, Sepp Blatter has acknowledged its appeal still trails that of the men's game.

FIFA's president said in BBC World Service radio in an interview broadcast Thursday that the Women's World Cup in Canada, which opens June 6, can be a "market opener."

Blatter challenged the teams in the expanded 24-nation tournament to help achieve that breakthrough by putting on a high-quality show.

"Women's football must market itself. It's a product, and the product must have quality," he said. "Now it's up to the ladies in this World Cup to show that it's a great event because the television coverage will be done exactly like the FIFA World Cup."