FIFA Clears Referee Over Controversial Hand Gesture at 2026 World Cup

A video assistant referee at the 2026 FIFA World Cup has been cleared of any wrongdoing after a global controversy erupted over a hand gesture he made on live television. Australia's Shaun Evans faced calls for his dismissal after making a gesture that has been co-opted by white supremacist groups, but FIFA's disciplinary body determined it was not an intentional act.

The Incident on Live Broadcast

The incident occurred on June 14, 2026, during the pre-match broadcast for the Group E game between Germany and Curaçao at Houston Stadium. As the television feed cut to the video assistant referee (VAR) room, cameras captured Evans making an inverted circle with his thumb and index finger—a gesture commonly known as the "OK" symbol—while his right hand rested near his right leg .

This symbol has a dual life. While it is widely used as a harmless signal for "okay" or a game, it was designated a hate symbol in 2019 by the New York-based Anti-Defamation League (ADL) after being appropriated by far-right and white supremacist groups .

The broadcast moment immediately sparked protest from the Fare Network, a group that partners with FIFA to monitor and report discriminatory behavior at the tournament. The organization publicly condemned the gesture as a neo-Nazi and supremacist symbol and called for Evans' immediate removal, stating he "cannot continue in the World Cup" .