The International Olympic Committee is to investigate BBC claims of corruption against Fifa Vice-President Issa Hayatou, also an IOC member, it says.
It has asked the BBC to give any evidence of alleged bribery, following the screening of its Panorama programme.
Panorama alleged Mr Hayatou and two other Fifa officials voting on World Cup bids took bribes in the 1990s.
Fifa, world football's governing body, has dismissed the claims.
The IOC has said it will refer the matter to its ethics commission.
"The IOC has taken note of the allegations made by BBC Panorama and will ask the programme makers to pass on any evidence they may have to the appropriate authorities. The IOC has a zero tolerance against corruption and will refer the matter to the IOC Ethics Commission," it said.
Fifa issued a statement, saying the allegations referred to events that had taken place before the year 2000 and had been investigated by the Swiss authorities.
"In its verdict of 26 June 2008, the Criminal Court of Zug had not convicted any Fifa officials. It is therefore important to stress again the fact that no Fifa officials were accused of any criminal offence in these proceedings."
Lucrative rights
The BBC Panorama, broadcast on Monday, alleged that Fifa officials Issa Hayatou - Confederation of African Football chief, from Cameroon - Nicolas Leoz, from Paraguay, and Ricardo Teixeira, from Brazil, took bribes from a sport marketing firm which was awarded lucrative World Cup rights.
The men will vote this week on the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bids.
They have not responded to Panorama's allegations.
England is competing with Russia, Spain/Portugal and Netherlands/Belgium to host the 2018 tournament.
The alleged bribes to the three members of Fifa's executive committee were paid by sports marketing company International Sport and Leisure (ISL) and date from 1989 to 1999, Panorama alleged. The company collapsed in 2001.
Fifa granted ISL exclusive rights to market World Cup tournaments to some of the world's biggest brands, and ISL received millions more from negotiating television broadcast rights.
Panorama: Fifa's Dirty Secrets was broadcast on BBC One on Monday, 29 November and is now available in the UK on the BBC iPlayer.