A giant soccer ball will hover over the city of Berlin during next summer's World Cup games.

The spherical observation platform towards the top of Berlin's trademark television tower is to be decked out as a soccer ball, given that local authorities will grant permission to do so.

The tower, which is owned by Deutsche Telekom, has a platform which can be seen from throughout the city. It also holds a revolving restaurant.

A Deutsche Telekom spokesperson tells reporters, "We aim to stick something onto it to transform it into a ball."

The application for the transformation has been supported by Berlin mayor Klaus Wowereit, who Bild newspaper says had written to the approving authority welcoming the idea.

Berlin city hall confirms Wowereit is enthusiastic about the idea. A city spokesman says, "It is a wonderful advertisement for the city of Berlin."