Football's powerful governing body came under renewed scrutiny after a Brazilian police chief said on Thursday a FIFA member provided thousands of World Cup tickets, sold illegally at games for millions of dollars.
As Brazil geared up for the weekend quarter-finals, including the titanic Germany-France showdown, police commissioner Fabio Barucke said "someone from FIFA" and "an intermediary from Match Hospitality", FIFA's ticket agency, had channelled the tickets onto the black market.
The FIFA figure, whom police are trying to identify, is believed to be staying at the Copacabana Palace, a luxury Rio de Janeiro hotel used by some FIFA hierarchy at the World Cup, Barucke told reporters.
The scandal is the latest to hit FIFA, already battling bribery allegations over Qatar's successful campaign to host the 2022 World Cup.
Brazilian police on Tuesday arrested 11 people accused of selling tickets that might have been obtained through a FIFA contact.
The tickets are normally reserved for sponsors, football federations, players and non-government organisations.
A police investigation was launched without FIFA's knowledge, the commissioner said.
Following the arrests, "we are now calling for FIFA's assistance to help us identify this FIFA person, a foreigner ..." Barucke said.
FIFA president Sepp Blatter, under fierce pressure over Qatar and other alleged corruption at his organisation, said he was unaware of the case, according to Estadao newspaper's website.
"I don't handle tickets. I handle politics," Blatter said.
FIFA marketing director Thierry Weil said the organisation "is fully supporting the local authorities in their investigations into ticket scalping and any illegal sale of FIFA World Cup tickets.
"FIFA and the local authorities will ensure that any violations will be sanctioned accordingly."
Initially, police thought Mohamadou Lamine Fofana, a Franco-Algerian based in Dubai, was the central figure, Barucke said.
"But after his arrest, we realised there was someone above him from FIFA with an intermediary at Match Hospitality.
"We want to identify the last link in the chain, from the ticket touts at the stadiums, right through to those who are above Lamine Fofana and who passed the tickets on to him.
"We have indications that at least one person from FIFA passed on tickets" to Match Hospitality.
Marcos Kac, the Rio investigating magistrate, said at least 1000 tickets per game were involved with a basic price of 1000 euros ($A1500).
With 64 games in the tournament, it is not known how many the touts had targeted.
The brother and agent of former Brazil star Ronaldinho, Roberto de Assis Moreira, faces questioning, but is not under investigation, Kac said.
Of those arrested - nine in Rio and two in Sao Paulo - 10 have refused to talk, Barucke said.
The suspect cooperating said ticket prices "could have reached 30,000 reais ($A14,715) for a final involving Brazil," said Barucke.
Police intercepted 50,000 phone conversations and had listened to half of them, he said.
The tickets arrived by air in Brazil and middlemen took them to resell at stadiums.
The developments broke as France and Germany prepared to resume their fierce rivalry in Friday's quarter-finals (Saturday AEST).
Germany's preparations suffered a scare with seven players affected by light flu-like illness.
France have the chance to avenge semi-final defeats to Germany in the 1986 and 1982 World Cups.
The victor will face hosts Brazil or Colombia, who clash in Friday's second quarter-final in Fortaleza.
The last-eight drama continues Saturday (Sunday AEST) with Argentina playing Belgium and the Netherlands up against Costa Rica.
Share
