Chuck Blazer has admitted in court testimony released today that he conspired with fellow FIFA executives to accept bribes during the process to choose hosts for the 1998 and 2010 World Cups.

The multimillionaire, who has been the face of North American soccer for two decades, pleaded guilty to racketeering as part of a massive US corruption case targeting world football's governing body.

Mr Blazer's testimony is a key plank in the US investigation against FIFA, which the federal court document describes as a "Racketeering Influenced Corrupt Organization."

In a testimony published by the United States Department of Justice, the 70-year-old admitted to a raft of charges related to his leadership of the North and Central American soccer body CONCACAF and membership of FIFA's executive committee.

He is awaiting sentencing and may be called to testify in the trials of other sports executives.

But in the papers released, the other FIFA executives identified as co-conspirators are not named.

"Among other things, I agreed with other persons in or around 1992 to facilitate the acceptance of a bribe in conjunction with the selection of the host nation for the 1998 World Cup," Mr Blazer said in his plea.

The 1998 World Cup was eventually awarded to France, ahead of a bid by Morocco. Another court document, detailing the charges, says Mr Blazer was present when a co-conspirator accepted a bribe in Morocco.

Mr Blazer also accepted he and "others on the FIFA executive committee" agreed to accept bribes in conjunction with the selection of South Africa to host the World Cup in 2010.

Today South Africa again denied that a payment of $10m (€8.8m) to former FIFA vice president Jack Warner during their successful bid for the 2010 World Cup was a bribe.

Sports minister Fikile Mbalula told a news conference that neither South Africa's government nor the 2010 World Cup bid and organising committee bought votes for the right to host the finals.

It comes as Interpol has issued international wanted-person alerts for two former FIFA officials, including Jack Warner, and four corporate executives at the request of US authorities as part of a corruption investigation.

Interpol said it issued so-called red notices - not an international arrest warrant - for Mr Warner, former president of CONCACAF, which governs football in North and Central America and the Caribbean, and Nicolas Leoz, the former head of South America's soccer federation.

#INTERPOL Red Notices for 2 former #FIFA officials & 4 execs on charges inc #racketeering #conspiracy #corruption pic.twitter.com/y53m2X1ZkC
— INTERPOL (@INTERPOL_HQ) June 3, 2015

Meanwhile, a US law enforcement official has confirmed the FBI's investigation of FIFA includes scrutiny of how the organisation awarded the 2018 World Cup to Russia and the 2022 competition to Qatar.

The official, who spoke under the promise of anonymity, said the review of the awards to host the tournament would be part of a probe that is looking beyond the allegations in an indictment announced a week ago of officials of world soccer's governing body.

Swiss prosecutors said then that they were investigating the 2018 and 2022 bids.

Among issues the FBI is examining is the stewardship of FIFA by its long-time president Sepp Blatter, who yesterday unexpectedly announced his plan to resign.

Meanwhile, Mr Blatter is being investigated by US prosecutors and the FBI, according to reports in US media.

The New York Times and ABC News reported that they have been told by an unnamed source that Mr Blatter is under investigation.

The 79-year-old yesterday unexpectedly announced he is standing down as FIFA president yesterday just days after his controversial re-election for a fifth term.

Mr Blatter has not been charged with any wrongdoing.

FIFA did not respond to a request for comment on him being under investigation.

The US Justice Department and the US Attorney's office had no immediate comment.

The office of the Swiss Attorney General, which is investigating alleged criminal mismanagement and money laundering at FIFA, said Mr Blatter's resignation would have no effect on its proceedings.

It also said Mr Blatter himself was not subject to its investigation.