England forced to wear all-white kit throughout World Cup group stages after FIFA meeting in Zurich

Roy Hodgson's men had hoped to don their reverse kit for the match with Uruguay on June 19 but that will no longer be possible due to a clash with the planned officials strip

The Football Association has been forced to bow to FIFA over the kits England will wear at the World Cup.

Mirror Sport revealed in March that the Nike-produced first-team kit for Brazil would be all white, to meet FIFA's requests that sides should wear ''predominantly light or dark'' strips.

England's change kit for the tournament is red with white shorts and red socks.

But despite having left a meeting with FIFA in Zurich last month hoping to have persuaded World Cup chiefs to let England wear both kits in the group stage, the world governing body has put down its feet.

FA bosses, who were accompanied by Nike representatives for the talks with FIFA, wanted Roy Hodgson's men to wear white for their opening game against Italy in Manaus on June 14, with Cesare Prandelli's side in full Azzurri blue.

England were then hoping to wear the change kit for the crunch clash with Uruguay in Sao Paulo on June 19, before reverting to white for the final game with Costa Rica in Belo Horizonte on June 24.

Reverse: The red away strip the Three Lions had hoped to wear against Uruguay  

Uruguay will wear the latest version of their traditional sky blue shirts and black shorts, with the FA and Nike both under the impression that England wearing red would avoid any confusion.

But FA bosses have now been told by FIFA that there is a problem with a potential clash between the red kit and the planned strip for the match officials for that game.

There is also a secondary issue over the a potential clash between Uruguay's kit and the yellow top and black shorts goalkeeper Joe Hart would wear.

Nike are understandably keen to showcase both new England kits – part of their £25million per year deal with the FA – at the tournament but the US-owned brand are direct rivals of German manufacturers Adidas, who have a long-standing relationship with FIFA.

But FIFA's stance, accepted by the FA, means the red kit may not see competitive action unless Hodgson's men get through to the last 16 and beyond.

England will wear the white kit for the first time in their farewell friendly against Peru at Wembley on May 30 and will certainly wear the change strip in at least one of their friendlies in Miami with Ecuador and Honduras.