FIFA cears VAR official after gesture controversy during World Cup Match
Australian referee Shaun Evans says hand movement was ‘Subconscious Twitch’
FIFA has cleared Australian video assistant referee Shaun Evans following an investigation into a hand gesture made before Germany’s 7-1 victory over Curacao at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Evans came under scrutiny after television cameras showed him briefly making an upside-down “OK” hand gesture while standing in the VAR hub in Dallas ahead of Sunday’s Group E clash.
The gesture quickly sparked widespread debate and speculation on social media because it carries two distinct interpretations — one commonly regarded as harmless and another linked in some contexts to white supremacist symbolism.
Following a review of the footage and surrounding circumstances, FIFA confirmed that it found “no evidence of breaches of the FIFA Disciplinary Code” and that Evans remains eligible for selection during the remainder of the tournament.
In a statement released through FIFA, Evans strongly denied intentionally making any political or offensive gesture.
“The coverage following this incident simply does not reflect who I am,” Evans said.
“Of course, I understand how the gesture has been interpreted and I regret this, however I want to be very clear and categorically say that I did not knowingly or deliberately make the hand symbol suggested.”
The 38-year-old official explained that the movement was “an involuntary, subconscious twitch” and said he had been unaware of making the gesture at the time., BBC reports
Evans added that video footage from later in the match showed him repeatedly making similar hand movements while holding a pen between his fingers inside the VAR room.
“Images taken later during the match showed that I repeated this movement many times while holding a pen between my fingers,” he said.
“Officiating at the World Cup is the biggest honor of my career and I look forward to supporting my colleagues for the rest of the tournament.”
The Professional Football Referees’ Association (PFRA) in Australia welcomed FIFA’s decision and voiced support for Evans.
“Shaun has consistently represented the values expected of football officials: professionalism, respect and integrity,” the association said in a statement.
“We acknowledge Shaun’s public statement, in which he addressed the matter directly, and we recognise the importance of fairness, context and due process when concerns are raised.”
The controversy emerged during FIFA’s pre-match broadcast sequence, in which television coverage briefly introduced referees and VAR officials working from the central referee hub in Dallas.
Before the Germany-Curacao match, cameras showed Evans and fellow VAR officials posing for the world feed when the gesture was noticed by viewers online.
Following the incident, FIFA appeared to alter its pre-match presentation format. During subsequent matches, VAR officials were shown already focused on their monitors rather than facing the camera directly, although their names continued to appear on screen.
