Is Nike the unidentified company in the FIFA bribery case?

Nike said it's cooperating with authorities on the same day the US unsealed charges saying an unidentified sportswear company took part in bribing a Brazilian soccer official for a sponsorship agreement.

The deal described in an indictment of FIFA officials mirrors one obtained by Nike. The charges refer to a US company that signed a partnership with the Brazilian federation in 1996. Nike, based in Beaverton, Oregon, announced its decade-long pact with Brazil that year.

"Nike believes in ethical and fair play in both business and sport and strongly opposes any form of manipulation or bribery," the company said Wednesday in an emailed statement. "We have been cooperating , and will continue to cooperate, with the authorities." Nike, which isn't named in the indictment, declined to comment on the allegations.

Nike shares fell 0.6 per cent to $102.84 on Wednesday in New York. The stock has gained seven per cent this year.

Winning the Brazilian sponsorship put Nike on the global soccer map. In 1994, its sales from soccer totalled $40 million. More than two decades later, it is challenging Adidas AG for the title of biggest brand in the sport, with revenue from soccer reaching $2.27 billion in fiscal year 2014.