Fifa is seeking an explanation after a video assistant referee appeared to flash a hand gesture associated with white supremacy moments before Germany's 7-1 thrashing of Curacao. Shaun Evans, an Australian official, was seen making an upside-down 'OK' sign with his right hand during the pre-match broadcast from the VAR hub in Dallas. The gesture, which has been listed as a hate symbol by the Anti-Defamation League since 2019, triggered immediate speculation on social media and calls for his removal.
The incident occurred as part of Fifa's world feed coverage, which briefly focuses on officials before each match. Referees and their teams walk to the touchline, their names and roles displayed. Then the camera cuts to the VAR room, where officials pose for the camera. On Sunday, Evans stood with his arm by his side before forming the symbol below his waist.
“Fifa is investigating VAR official Shaun Evans after he appeared to make a white supremacist hand gesture before Germany's World Cup win.”
But the gesture has two distinct meanings. One is the 'circle game' — a prank popularised by the US sitcom Malcolm in the Middle where making the sign below the waist invites a punch on the shoulder from anyone who looks. The other is a far-right signal of white power, adopted as a hoax on the message board 4chan before being embraced by extremists. Oren Segal, director of the ADL's Center on Extremism, said in 2019 that context is key, but added: 'There is enough of a volume of use for hateful purposes that we felt it was important to add.'
The anti-discrimination Fare network, which partners with Fifa and Uefa to monitor racism, said it was seeking clarification. '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,' Fare said in a statement. It called for Evans to have no further role in the tournament: 'Why is a VAR supervisor using this symbol at a global football event at the very moment he knows the cameras are on him?'
BBC Sport has been told by sources that Fifa is looking for answers from the 38-year-old, who has been on Fifa's list of referees since 2017 and worked at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. There has been no official response from Fifa. But there was a noticeable change after the Germany-Curacao match: in three subsequent games, the VAR officials were no longer posing for the camera. They faced their monitors, though their names were still shown.
Fifa's discrimination monitor now faces the question of intent — whether Evans was playing a prank or sending a signal — and what action, if any, to take.