SHANGHAI, Sept. 11 -- FIFA president Sepp Blatter said today he favors expanding the women's World Cup to 24 teams despite the embarrassing 11-0 scoreline in the 2007 World Cup opener.

Germany's one-sided destruction of South American champion Argentina in yesterday's opener raised questions about the depth of women's international soccer and whether even the current 16 team format was too broad.

"Definitely I didn't like this result," Blatter said. "This is not good when we look forward in the future."

"This will not enhance the chances to do it (expand) , but it's only the first match."

A decision on whether to expand the event will be taken after this tournament, as well as hosting rights for 2011, with Germany and Canada considered leading bidders, and Australia and Peru also candidates.

"We have realized that in all countries of the world, women they can play football," Blatter said. "And they also play football where their culture will not permit them to play in public."

"By saying that the game is now universal we should look at growing from 16 teams to 24 teams in order to give more countries the possibility every four years to meet with the best of women's football."

"For us it would be good if we could open this competition."

Australia coach Tom Sermanni is one of the most experienced coaches in international women's soccer, leading Australia since 1994 over two stints and also coaching in the former professional US league, and he strongly criticized the opening match.

"I was extremely disappointed to be honest," Sermanni said. "It's not a good advertisement for women's football."

"Women's football in South America is general has not kept pace with other parts of the world and I would hope this would be a wake-up call for South America to say they need to put more resources into it."

However rival coach Even Pellerud, who took Norway to the 1995 World Cup title and is now coaching Canada, said it would be a mistake to read too much into the opening result.

"We shouldn't conclude after one game," Pellerud said. "I do not expect a lot of big margins here, but it's very visible when it's the first game."