FIFA deny Katie McCabe permission to wear OneLove armband at Women's World Cup

ONELOVE: Republic of Ireland captain Katie McCabe with team-mate and partner Ruesha Littlejohn. Photo by Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

Katie McCabe has been denied permission by FIFA to wear the OneLove armband when she leads the Republic of Ireland out at the upcoming Women's World Cup.

In a statement released on Friday, the governing body announced plans to highlight a number of social issues and causes throughout the tournament in Australia and New Zealand that were "selected following extensive consultation with stakeholders including players and the 32 participating member associations."

The FAI had requested permission for McCabe to wear either the OneLove or a rainbow armband but she will now not be permitted to do so.

Ireland have been active in campaigning for gay rights as their squad heading to the finals features several LGBT players, including McCabe and her partner Ruesha Littlejohn and they wore rainbow-numbered jersey's in their recent friendly against Zambia.

Team captains have been granted just three options for their armband. They can wear the “Football Unites the World” armband for the entire tournament, an armband corresponding to the theme of their choice for the entire tournament or the armband corresponding to the theme of the specific matchday.

"Football unites the world and our global events, such as the FIFA Women's World Cup, have a unique power to bring people together and provide joy, excitement and passion," said FIFA President Gianni Infantino.

"But football does even more than that – it can shine the spotlight on very important causes in our society. After some very open talks with stakeholders, including member associations and players, we have decided to highlight a series of social causes – from inclusion to gender equality, from peace to ending hunger, from education to tackling domestic violence – during all 64 matches at the FIFA Women's World Cup."

FIFA Secretary General Fatma Samoura added: "It's not just about what happens on the pitch. We are committed to using football’s power as a force for good and leveraging our partnerships with United Nations agencies to achieve our goals. We want to say thank you. Thank you to the players and the teams for sharing your support, for these causes. United, we can make a difference."