BERLIN: German daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung reports the FBI has opened a corruption investigation into the awarding of the 2006 World Cup to Germany.

SZ says it has been told by "sources close to FIFA" that the FBI is concerned about a suspect payment made by the German football federation to FIFA before the tournament was awarded.

The DFB said the money was a loan of 10 million Swiss francs — the equivalent of 6.7 million euros or $7.22 million — from then-Adidas boss Robert Louis-Dreyfus, to FIFA in 2002 to obtain a large grant for the World Cup organising committee. It's unclear who exactly received the money, however.

The payment is also the target of a tax evasion investigation by German authorities and Swiss authorities.