FIFA plunged into crisis as officials are arrested in Zurich

The New York Times said they were high-ranking FIFA officials and were in Switzerland for the FIFA Congress where incumbent Sepp Blatter faces a challenge from Jordan's Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein in a presidential election on Friday.

The arrests were made by plain-clothed police officers who took room keys from the reception of the five-star Baur Au Lac hotel, where officials were staying, with FIFA vice-president Jeffrey Webb believed to be among those arrested.

FIFA have stressed that President Sepp Blatter will not be charged, but the timing of this development will come as a major blow to him.

The New York Times, citing anonymous law enforcement officials, said the US federal charges include racketeering, money laundering and wire fraud and span two decades of misconduct in soccer's world governing body.

More than 10 officials were expected to be indicted, but not all were in Zurich, the newspaper reported.

"The US authorities suspect them of having received bribes totalling in the millions (in USD)," said the statement from the Swiss Federal Office of Justice.

"The arrest warrants were issued further to a request by the US authorities. The US Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York is investigating these individuals on suspicion of the acceptance of bribes and kick-backs between the early 1990s and the present day."

"The bribery suspects, representatives of sports media and sports promotion firms, are alleged to have been involved in schemes to make payments to the soccer officials, delegates of FIFA and other functionaries of FIFA sub-organizations, totalling more than $100 million."

FIFA general secretary Jerome Valcke was at the hotel briefly on Wednesday morning but did not comment on the development.