In 2014 the prohibition of the hijab in sporting competition was abolished by FIFA. In response an initiative designed to encourage and support the participation of Muslim women in football was launched in Dublin. This paper seeks to understand Diverse FC players' experiences through utilizing a cultural studies approach bolstered by a theoretical framework focussed on cultural and social capital and micro level interactions in order to explore the politics of participation when that participation may be policed by community members monitoring behaviours in accordance with the groups preferred norms. The paper demonstrates that the Diverse City project delivers inclusion in and inclusion through football and underscores the importance of understanding the experiences of our participants when developing strategies for inclusion in sports management and in wider society, particularly in an international context where securitised practices and discourses are discouraging the socio-civic participation of young Muslims.