FIFA announced on June 16 that its independent Ethics Committee concluded there is no evidence that Video Assistant Referee (VAR) Shaun Evans violated the FIFA Disciplinary Code, following allegations he made a racially charged hand gesture during a 2026 World Cup match.
Earlier, an FIFA anti-discrimination monitor at the World Cup had called for the Australian referee to be removed from the tournament after he appeared in a live broadcast of the opening match of Germany's group stage against Curacao (played on June 15 in Houston, USA). When a camera cut to the VAR room at the World Cup Broadcast Center in Dallas, Evans was seen making an “OK” sign with his right hand.
This symbol is often used by far-right groups and white supremacists. Before FIFA's ruling, Evans issued a statement asserting the gesture was unintentional and that he harbored “no intention to convey any message, affiliation, game, or belief.”
“The only explanation I can offer is that it was an involuntary, subconscious twitch, and I was not aware I had done it at the time,” Evans said, adding that later stills from the match show he repeated the motion several times while holding a pen between his fingers.
“The subsequent coverage of this incident does not reflect my true character. Of course, I understand how the gesture has been interpreted, and I regret that; however, I wish to state clearly and unequivocally that I did not intentionally or deliberately make the hand signal as alleged,” he added.
