Ireland captain Katie McCabe refused permission to wear OneLove armband at Women's World Cup

Republic of Ireland captain Katie McCabe will not be permitted by FIFA to wear the OneLove armband in matches at the World Cup this summer.

The global governing body has announced plans to highlight a number of social issues and causes throughout the tournament in Australia and New Zealand.

Captains will be able to wear armbands corresponding to the cause being highlighted in each round of matches, or wear an armband in support of one cause for the entire tournament.

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

The Irish squad features several LGBT players, including McCabe, and they have been very active in campaigning for gay rights.

Most recently they wore rainbow-coloured numbers for the Zambia friendly in Tallaght, but many players have openly discussed their sexuality and spoken out on issues, which means this FIFA ruling will be a disappointment to Vera Pauw and her squad.

FIFA has consulted with national associations and players over its plans in a bid to avoid a repeat of the row over OneLove armbands which dominated the opening week of the men’s World Cup in Qatar last year.

There, captains of the nations involved in the OneLove campaign, including England and Wales, were threatened with sporting sanctions starting at a yellow card if the bands were worn, because they would have been a breach of FIFA equipment regulations. The bands were seen as a potent symbol of tolerance in a country where same-sex relationships are criminalised.

It is understood teams can promote other causes at team training camps if they choose to, but wearing the OneLove band, or any other unapproved band, at a match would trigger