Sepp Blatter

In an interview published on Friday in the Expresso newspaper, Solo said Blatter grabbed her rear end shortly before the two appeared onstage at the annual football awards event.

A representative for Solo confirmed to the Associated Press that the report was accurate and said the former goalkeeper for the US women's national team had no further comment on the matter.

Blatter could not immediately be reached for comment by AP, but the embattled former head of football's governing body told the Guardian newspaper: "This allegation is ridiculous."

Draws to decide which teams play each other are conducted by selecting the table tennis-size balls from plastic bowls. The balls are unscrewed to reveal the team names inside.

Blatter, however, insisted the ruse was never used at FIFA.

"Of course it's technically possible. That doesn't happen in FIFA but I witnessed draws, at European level, in which that happened, but never at FIFA," Blatter told Argentine daily La Nacion in an interview on their website.

Since 27 May 2015, FIFA has been cooperating with the Office of the Swiss Attorney General (OAG) and has complied with all requests for documents, data and other information. We will continue this level of cooperation throughout the investigation.

Today, at the Home of FIFA, representatives from the Office of the Swiss Attorney General conducted interviews and gathered documents pursuant to its investigation. FIFA facilitated these interviews as part of our ongoing cooperation.

Switzerland's attorney general's office says it opened criminal proceedings against Blatter for possible criminal mismanagement and misappropriation of FIFA money.

The Swiss federal office says Blatter was interrogated after chairing a meeting of FIFA's executive committee on Friday.

The Swiss federal prosecutor's office also said Blatter's office was searched and data was seized.

The UEFA President has written to all 209 member associations of FIFA to inform them of his intention to stand, having received indications of support from five continental confederations.

"There are times in life when you have to take your destiny into your own hands," said the Frenchman in the letter. 

"I am at one of those decisive moments, at a juncture in my life and in events that are shaping the future of FIFA.

"This was a very personal, carefully considered decision, one in which I weighed up the future of football alongside my own future.