A World Cup video review official said his hand gesture, which appeared to be a white supremacist sign, was caused by an involuntary muscle twitch, and a FIFA committee concluded the Australian had not breached the sport’s disciplinary code.
FIFA’s discrimination monitor had called for Shaun Evans to be removed from the tournament.
Evans worked in Germany’s 7-1 victory over Curacao on Sunday as an assistant to the video assistant referee, from the World Cup broadcast center in Dallas. When the official pre-match broadcast stopped to show the video review officials, Evans made an «OK» symbol with his right hand in front of his right leg.
“I have not intentionally made any hand gesture or symbol to convey any message, belief, play or belief of any kind,” Evans said in a statement released by FIFA on Monday. «The only explanation I can give is that the movement was an involuntary, unconscious jerk, and I did not know at the time that I had done it. Footage taken later during the match showed me repeating this movement many times while holding a pen between my fingers.»
In 2019, the gesture – in which the thumb and index finger touch in a circle and other fingers extend – was labeled a hate symbol by the New York-based Anti-Defamation League.
“The advice from our experts is that the gesture used clearly resembles an inverted ‘OK’ hand symbol used as a ‘white power’ symbol in global far-right circles,» said the Fare Network, a long-term partner of FIFA and European football body UEFA, which monitors racist and discriminatory chants, flags and symbols at international matches.
“It is clear that this official should no longer play a role in this World Cup,” Fare said in his statement, describing the gesture as “neo-Nazi”.
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Evans is in his second World Cup and it was his first match of this year’s tournament.
“FIFA’s Independent Disciplinary Committee can confirm that, following an investigation of the matter involving supporting video assistant referee Shaun Evans, it found no evidence of breaches of FIFA’s disciplinary code,” the FIFA panel said in a statement. “The disciplinary committee also took note of Mr Evans’ statement.”
The gesture was appropriated as a signal of white supremacy a decade ago and started as a hoax on the far-right online message board 4chan.
“Why does a VAR supervisor use this symbol at a global football event when he knows the cameras are on him?” Fare said. “We note that in the two subsequent games it appears that TV directors have stopped introducing the VAR panel to TV audiences.”
The sign attracted global attention in New Zealand in March 2019 after it was created during the first court appearance by the white supremacist gunman who killed 51 Muslim worshipers at two mosques in Christchurch.
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Later in 2019, when the sign was designated as a hate symbol, Oren Segal, director of the ADL Center on Extremism, said context is critical in interpreting whether an «OK» symbol is hateful or harmless.
At the time, he said, «There are plenty of uses for hateful purposes that we felt were important to add.»
Evans is among 30 video review analysts selected by FIFA to work on this year’s World Cup, which is co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
“The reporting of this incident simply does not reflect who I am,” Evans said. «Of course I understand how the gesture was interpreted, and I regret this; however, I want to be very clear and say categorically that I did not consciously or intentionally suggest the hand symbol. Appearing at the World Cup is the greatest honor of my career, and I look forward to supporting my colleagues for the rest of the tournament.»
The Australian Professional Football Referees Association said it welcomed the outcome of FIFA’s review.
Evans, a referee in Australia’s top flight since 2012, «has consistently represented the values expected of football officials: professionalism, respect and integrity,» the PRFA said in an emailed statement to The Associated Press.
“The PFRA celebrates diversity in football and unequivocally rejects racism, discrimination and extremist ideology in all forms,” the statement said. “We acknowledge Shaun’s public statement in which he directly addressed the matter, and we recognize the importance of fairness, context and due process when concerns are raised.”
Published on June 16, 2026
