FIFA clears VAR official over hand gesture controversy

A video assistant referee at the 2026 FIFA World Cup has been cleared of wrongdoing after an investigation into a hand gesture he made on a live broadcast sparked accusations of extremism and calls for his removal from the tournament. FIFA’s Independent Disciplinary Committee announced on June 16 that it found no evidence Australian VAR official Shaun Evans breached the FIFA disciplinary code.

The controversy began during the pre-match broadcast for Germany’s 7-1 victory over Curaçao on June 14. Evans, serving as a VAR supervisor, was seen on camera making a brief, inverted “OK” hand gesture near his leg. The image was quickly circulated on social media, where some viewers alleged it resembled a symbol that has been appropriated by white supremacist groups in recent years.

FIFA’s anti-discrimination monitoring partner, the Fare network, formally called for Evans’s immediate removal from officiating duties on June 15. The organization stated the gesture clearly resembled a hate symbol used in far-right circles and argued that a VAR supervisor using such a symbol on a global broadcast could only be intentional. Fare described the gesture as “neo-Nazi” and said Evans should have no...