The media centre for journalists covering the World Cup was evacuated for around one hour on Friday after the discovery of what was likely to be an unexploded World War II bomb.

A Fifa official said journalists in the media centre, a giant tent next to the Olympic Stadium, were asked to leave, but were allowed to return after an hour.

A spokesman for the world governing body FIFA said the problem was probably caused by "an old explosive device".

Discoveries of bombs dating from World War II are a frequent occurrence in Berlin.

"There is no danger," the FIFA spokesperson said, adding that a full explanation would be given later.

The Berlin media centre - one of the biggest of the 12 centres to accommodate the 6 000 accredited journalists for the tournament - opened on Thursday.

The 64-match World Cup kicks off on Friday next week.