French national team stars Franck Ribery and Karim Benzema have been ordered to stand trial over allegations of paid sexual encounters with Zahia Dehar, who was under 18 at the time.

The case began as a police investigation into allegations of prostitution at an expensive nightclub near the Champs Elysees and tarnished the image of French soccer and upset the French team during its fraught 2010 World Cup campaign in South Africa.

Dehar told investigators that Benzema had paid for sex with her in 2008, when she was 16. She claimed that Ribery had paid for sex with her in 2009 and allegedly flew her to Germany -- where he plays for Bayern Munich -- as a 26th "birthday present" to himself. Ribery told police he had not known Dehar was underage.

Dehar told investigators that neither player had known her real age. Both players face a possible three years in prison or a $55,000 fine if found guilty.