FIFA president Sepp Blatter has said that women's football is limping behind the men's game in terms of both profile and sponsorship.
Blatter, who is seeking a fifth term as president of world football's governing body, said that getting new partners for women's football is difficult because the focus is on men's football, the BBC reported.
Describing himself as a 'godfather' to women's football, Blatter said that access to football stadiums remains a problem for women in parts of the world, like Saudi Arabia and Iran, because of cultural issues.
Earlier, Blatter had attracted criticism in 2004 for suggesting female footballers should play in 'tighter shorts' to enhance the game's popularity.