Brazil football probe to put harsh glare on Nike, other sponsors

SAO PAULO/BRASILIA (Reuters) - Nike Inc and some other big international companies face a grilling over their powerful role in Brazilian football as a former star player turned senator vows to expose what he describes as suspect marketing contracts and their links to corrupt payments.

Romario, a revered striker who led Brazil to victory at the 1994 World Cup wearing the U.S. sportswear giant's boots, is leading a new congressional probe into sponsorship deals in the wake of U.S. graft charges that have shaken the football world.