<Dl> <Dd> (...) every player born on the territory of Northern Ireland, holding the UK nationality and being entitled to a passport of the Republic of Ireland or born on the territory of the Republic of Ireland and holding the Irish nationality could either play for the (FAI) or the (IFA), under the condition that all other relevant prerequisites pertaining to player's eligibility for a specific Association team are fulfilled </Dd> </Dl> <Dd> (...) every player born on the territory of Northern Ireland, holding the UK nationality and being entitled to a passport of the Republic of Ireland or born on the territory of the Republic of Ireland and holding the Irish nationality could either play for the (FAI) or the (IFA), under the condition that all other relevant prerequisites pertaining to player's eligibility for a specific Association team are fulfilled </Dd> <P> FAI favoured the proposal, the IFA did not . Following the IFA's rejection, FIFA told the IFA that they had "concluded to adhere to the status quo". </P> <P> In 2010, the IFA challenged the FAI in the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). CAS concluded that the Irish FA "cannot reasonably claim that Mr Kearns' situation is to be equated with shared nationality as provided under Article 16 or that he requests a changed of association from a starting point of a shared nationality . His situation, with respect to his Irish nationality, is not governed by Article 16, but by the general principle set forth by Article 15 par . 1 of the said Regulations . No further connection (as described by Article 16) has to exist between Mr Kearns and the Republic of Ireland to make him eligible to play for the FAI's representative team ." </P>

Rules to play for a country in world cup