Players for Football Australia may be allowed to wear rainbow armbands at the Women’s World Cup.

James Johnson, the chief executive of Football Australia, told the Observer that there had been “meaningful dialogue” between the hosts and football’s governing body. Part of the discussions include a plan to allow players to wear armbands to represent certain issues.

“We’re in the middle of that process and we’re pretty confident and optimistic that we’ll end up in a good place: a place where players have the ability to express themselves in certain areas, which keeps the players happy, it keeps the host nation happy and also Fifa happy as well. So I do think there’ll be a resolution ahead of the Women’s World Cup.”

When asked directly if Johnson expects to see players wearing rainbow armbands at the tournament, he said he thinks there will be.