World Cup official says twitch caused gesture resembling white supremacist sign; FIFA: no breach

By AP 16 June 2026, 7:38 am

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New Zealand goalkeeper Max Crocombe (1) is beaten by a header from Iran's Mohammad Mohebbi (8) to scores their second goal during the World Cup Group G soccer match between Iran and New Zealand in Inglewood, California, near Los Angeles, June 15, 2026. (AP/Mark J. Terrill)

A World Cup video review official says his hand gesture resembling a white supremacist sign was caused by an involuntary twitch, and a FIFA committee concludes the Australian didn’t breach the sport’s disciplinary code.

FIFA’s discrimination monitor had called for Shaun Evans to be removed from the tournament.

Evans worked Germany’s opening 7-1 win over Curaçao on Sunday as an assistant to the video assistant referee, based at the World Cup broadcast center in Dallas.

When the official broadcast cut before the game to show the video review officials, Evans made an “OK” symbol with his right hand in front of his right leg.

“I did not intentionally make a hand gesture or symbol to communicate a message, affiliation, game or belief of any kind,” Evans says in a statement released Monday by FIFA. “The only explanation I can offer is that the movement was an involuntary, subconscious twitch and I was unaware I had done it at the time. Images taken later during the match showed that I repeated this movement many times while holding a pen between my fingers.”

In 2019, the gesture — with thumb and forefinger touching in a circle and other fingers outstretched — was designated a hate symbol by the Anti-Defamation League.

“Advice from our experts is that the gesture used clearly resembles an upside down ‘OK’ hand symbol used as a ‘white power’ symbol in global far-right circles,” says the Fare network, a long-time partner of FIFA and European soccer body UEFA that monitors racist and discriminatory chants, flags and symbols at international games.

“Clearly this official should have no further role to play in this World Cup,” Fare says in its statement, describing the gesture as “neo-Nazi.”

Evans is working at his second World Cup, and it was his first game of this year’s tournament.

“FIFA’s independent disciplinary committee can confirm that, after looking into the matter involving support video assistant referee Shaun Evans, it has found no evidence of breaches of the FIFA disciplinary code,” the FIFA panel says in a statement. “The disciplinary committee has also taken note of Mr. Evans’ statement.”