From Martyn Ziegler in Zurich
FIFA endured the darkest day in its scandal-strewn history after US investigators blew the lid on "rampant, systemic, and deep-rooted" corruption.
Football's world governing body was plunged into crisis after a wave of arrests of football officials - including two Fifa vice-presidents -in Zurich yesterday on bribery, fraud and money laundering charges following an FBI investigation.
The US Department of Justice indictment of 18 people said bribes totalling more than $150million US (almost £98million) had been paid for television rights, sponsorship deals and World Cup votes. The crisis led Uefa to call for tomorrow's Fifa presidential election to be postponed and the European body questioned whether its 53 voting associations should even attend the Congress.
In a separate development, the Swiss attorney general also opened criminal proceedings over the awarding of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, seized documents and electronic data from Fifa's headquarters and will question 10 current Fifa executive committee members who voted on that tournament.
Uefa's statement has intensified the pressure on Fifa president Sepp Blatter, but the world governing body has insisted the election will take place as planned.
The arrests began at 6am as Swiss police swooped on the five-star hotel used by Fifa executives and arrested seven officials including Jeffrey Webb, a Fifa vice-president from the Cayman Islands who holds a British passport. Another Fifa vice-president Eugenio Figueredo from Uruguay was also arrested and Swiss officials said six of the seven are contesting extradition proceedings to the USA to answer indictments.
US Attorney General Loretta Lynch said: "The indictment alleges corruption that is rampant, systemic, and deep-rooted both abroad and in the US.
"It spans at least two generations of soccer officials who, as alleged, abused their positions of trust to acquire millions of dollars in bribes and kickbacks."
FBI director James Comey added: "As charged in the indictment, the defendants fostered a culture of corruption and greed that created an uneven playing field for the biggest sport in the world. Undisclosed and illegal payments, kickbacks, and bribes became a way of doing business at Fifa."
The indictments implicate South Africa in paying $10million US to disgraced former Fifa vice-president Jack Warner from Trinidad for votes to host the 2010 World Cup - with the money being channelled through a Fifa bank account an authorised by an unnamed high-ranking Fifa official. It also alleges corruption and bribery extended to the 2011 Fifa presidential election, and to agreements regarding sponsorship of the Brazilian national team by a major US sportswear company. Nike has sponsored Brazil since 1996 and said it opposes bribery and is cooperating with the authorities.
A warrant was issued for Warner's arrest in Trinidad and he is facing an extradition hearing to the USA. His two sons have pleaded guilty to corruption charges, while Chuck Blazer, who is believed to have provided much of the evidence to the FBI, has admitted 10 charges.
Uefa said the events were "a disaster for Fifa" and called for a change of leadership. A statement added: "These events show, once again, that corruption is deeply rooted in Fifa's culture.
"The upcoming Fifa Congress risks turning into a farce and therefore the European associations will have to consider carefully if they should even attend this Congress and caution a system, which, if it is not stopped, will ultimately kill football.
"The members of the Uefa executive committee are convinced that there is a strong need for a change to the leadership of this Fifa and strongly believe that the Fifa Congress should be postponed, with new Fifa presidential elections to be organised within the next six months."
However, the Asian Football Confederation later issued a statement opposing any delay in the election. Fifa reacted by provisionally suspending the 11 football offficials among the 18 people indicted.
Fifa's outgoing vice-president Jim Boyce said: "This is another sad day for Fifa. I hope the investigations that Fifa have themselves initiated will lead to those individuals - if found guilty of dishonesty and corruption - dealt with in the strongest possible manner by the law authorities".