FBI joins 2006 FIFA World Cup bid investigation: Report

At the heart of the investigation is a mysterious payment of 6.7 million euros made by the German Football Association to FIFA.

Berlin: The FIFA corruption scandal surrounding the awarding of the 2006 World Cup to Germany looks set to widen after a report on Saturday said the FBI are also investigating.

Munich-based newspaper the Sueddeutsche Zeitung quotes sources from FIFA who claim the United States` Federal Bureau of Investigation is also looking into the awarding of the finals in 2000 when Germany narrowly saw off a bid from South Africa.

At the heart of the investigation is a mysterious payment of 6.7 million euros made by the German Football Association (DFB) to FIFA.

Both Franz Beckenbauer, the chairman of the 2006 World Cup organising committee, and Wolfgang Niersbach, the former president of the DFB who resigned over the scandal, have denied any wrongdoing and are cooperating with German and Swiss investigators.

Both the FBI and FIFA were unavailable for comment when contacted by AFP.