Matildas striker Caitlin Foord finally let the cat out of the bag in May 2024 when she confirmed she was dating Katie McCabe, the skipper of Ireland’s national team.
Rumours had been circulating for 12 months that Foord and McCabe were an item, but the pair had kept their relationship on the downlow. But after the UK Women’s Super League wrapped for the season – both play for Arsenal – the couple jetted off on holiday together around Europe, posting stunning pictures from Rome.
‘’Sick time away in Rome,’’ Foord captioned the photos.
‘’Amore,’’ McCabe commented below (amore, of course, being the Italian word for love), adding an emoji with love-heart eyes.
Fans went wild over the subtle confirmation.
‘’You’ve just broken the internet,’’ one fan joked.
The pair were believed to be at the centre of a fiery love triangle at 2023’s FIFA World Cup in Australia.
McCabe and Foord struck up a relationship after the Irish star split from her long-term partner and team-mate Ruesha Littlejohn just before the World Cup.
Things got a little wild at the World Cup, with McCabe’s Irish teammates having to physically restrain Littlejohn as she aggressively approached Foord at the end of their match, which Australia won 1-0.
After the game, it’s traditional for players from both teams to high five each other – but Littlejohn completely avoided Foord.
As for Foord, she had split from Swiss midfielder and Arsenal teammate Lia Watti, adding fuel to the speculation that she and McCabe were an item.
Since going public, the couple have shared the love with their followers on Instagram.
A carousel of pictures posted by Foord on June 23 shows the couple lapping up the sun together in Mallorca, Spain.
‘’You both deserve everything and more!’’ one fan wrote. ‘’Glad you had an amazing time.’’
One person noticed a ring on McCabe’s left hand.
‘’The ring … got news for us, girls?’’ the fan wondered.
As the pair gear up for the Summer 2024 Olympics in Paris, here’s everything we know about Foord’s partner Katie McCabe.
Who is Katie McCabe?
Katie McCabe, 28, is an Irish professional football player. She plays for Arsenal in the UK Women’s Super League and captains the Republic of Ireland women’s national team.
She plays a variety of positions, including as winger, forward, full-back and wing-back.
With Arsenal, she’s been part of the winning FA Cup team (2016) and became Ireland’s captain the following year – the youngest captain in the team’s history.
That prompted The Guardian to call her ‘’the undoubted face of Irish women’s football’’.
Where did Katie McCabe grow up?
McCabe grew up as part of a huge family in Kilnamanagh, Dublin.
She has 10 siblings – six sisters and four brothers, one of whom is Gary McCabe, who played in the League of Ireland Premier Division from 2007 to 2018.
Another sister, Lauryn McCabe, currently plays for Dublin club Bohemian FC and the Ireland Under-16s.
What is Katie McCabe’s dating history?
Openly gay, McCabe has said in the past that women’s football is very accepting of LGBT people.
In June 2019, McCabe revealed she was in a relationship with fellow footballer Ruesha Littlejohn.
After splitting with Littlejohn in May 2023, rumours surfaced that McCabe and Foord were dating.
What have Katie McCabe and Caitlin Foord said about each other?
Nothing publicly yet – in words, at least. So far, the couple seem to be letting the pictures do the talking.
During their Mallorca stay, McCabe posted a picture that clearly showed the two holding hands.
‘’Lovely few days in Mallorca,’’ she posted on July 2.
And it seems fans were glad that the rumour had become reality.
‘’Katie just doesn’t care anymore, she’s like yeah, here’s the content you’ve all been looking for,’’ one follower wrote.
‘’It’s the hand holding that got me,’’ wrote another. ‘’You both look so happy.’’
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