FIFA has said it will investigate "serious allegations" that Germany paid bribes to host the 2006 World Cup.
FIFA has said it will investigate "serious allegations" that Germany paid bribes to host the 2006 World Cup.
German news magazine Der Spiegel reported the bidding committee had set up a slush fund of 10.3m Swiss francs (about $6m at the time) that was used to secure four votes from FIFA's 24-member executive committee.
The magazine added that former Adidas chief Robert Louis-Dreyfus privately contributed to the fund.
FIFA said the allegations would be "reviewed" as part of its ongoing investigation into corruption in football.
FIFA President Sepp Blatter and UEFA head Michael Platini were suspended by the world governing body for 90 days earlier this month over a $2m payment from FIFA to Mr Platini in 2011.
On Friday, the English Football Association became the first federation to drop its support for Platini's FIFA presidential bid.
So far, 14 football officials and sports marketing executives have been indicted by Swiss and US authorities over corruption.
They are also looking into the awarding of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups to Russia and Qatar respectively.
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