VAR official cleared after hand gesture investigation

Video assistant referee Shaun Evans has been cleared by Fifa after an investigation into a hand gesture seen during Germany’s 7-1 win over Curacao. Evans said the “OK” sign was an involuntary, subconscious twitch and insisted he had not intended to send any message or signal any belief.

The gesture was shown when Fifa cut to the VAR team in Dallas before Sunday’s match, prompting speculation online because the upside-down “OK” sign can carry very different meanings. One is harmless, while another has been linked to white supremacist symbolism.

Fifa said it found no evidence of a breach of its disciplinary code, and Evans is now available for the rest of the tournament. He said he was unaware he had made the movement and regretted the way it had been interpreted, but denied doing it knowingly or deliberately.

Evans also said video evidence showed he repeated the movement later in the match while holding a pen between his fingers. He added that officiating at the World Cup is the biggest honour of his career and that he looks forward to supporting colleagues for the remainder of the competition.

The incident drew attention because Fifa has been showing refereeing teams briefly on the world feed before matches, including shots of officials at the VAR hub. After Sunday’s game, that presentation changed slightly, with later VAR team shots showing officials already facing the monitors rather than posing for the camera.

The gesture itself resembles the upside-down “OK” sign used in the circle game, but it has also been adopted in far-right circles and added to the Anti-Defamation League’s list of hate symbols. Anti-discrimination groups had urged Fifa to respond, and Kick It Out reportedly sought clarification.

Evans, a long-time Fifa-listed official from Australia, has been on the international refereeing list since 2017 and also worked at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. In Australia, he has officiated in the A-League since 2012 and took charge of the 2019 Grand Final.