McDonald's and Pepsi are out of the running to be the main sponsors for the FA Cup from next season.
The brands are both likely to continue a sponsorship connection with the Football Association but neither will be the 'lead partner' for the FA Cup or the England team, according to a source close to the negotiations.
The FA are changing the way they appoint sponsors. From August 2006 until 2010, there will be just one single 'lead partner' for England and another for the FA Cup. The lead partner of the FA Cup will have the competition called 'The FA Cup sponsored by...'.
The England lead partner will have their branding on the team training kit but they will not be shirt sponsors as these are banned by Fifa.
Below the lead sponsors, there will be a lower tier of three sponsors called 'official supporters'. Sportswear giants Umbro have already signed up.
