Beer and sausages at the World Cup.

But not, for instance, Bier und Bratwursts. Heh. Budweiser - yes, the American one - and McDonalds have won exclusive World Cup contracts from FIFA to supply all the beer and all the sausages on and around the 2006 World Cup stadium premises. The Anheuser-Busch deal is reported to be about $40 million.

The local organizers - especially in Munich and Nuremberg, the two venues in Bavaria, where they take their bier seriously - are looking to see if there's any wiggle room in the contracts; if not, they'll set up "fan villages" just outside of the stadium's exclusivity area where "proper products" (i.e., local beers) would be sold.