FIFA opens inquiry into Shaun Evans over gesture before Germany v Curaçao | OneFootball

FIFA has opened an investigation into Australian referee Shaun Evans after a contentious hand gesture before Germany v Curaçao at the 2026 World Cup, according to Superdeporte.

The incident occurred when the broadcast showed the VOR room pre-match. As the designated officials appeared on screen, Evans, standing behind colleagues, formed the OK sign with the thumb and index finger of his right hand.

Though widely used to signal approval, the sign has in the past decade been linked to white supremacist groups. FIFA is therefore reviewing the context and intent before making any decision.

No conclusions have been issued, with scenarios left open from a light-hearted nod to family or friends to a racist message. The episode has sparked fierce debate on social media and intensified scrutiny of the Australian.

The symbol’s controversy grew from 2017 and the Anti-Defamation League lists it as used by hate movements in certain contexts. A high-profile example came when Australian terrorist Brenton Tarrant made it during a court appearance after the 2019 Christchurch massacre.

FIFA will now determine whether Evans’s gesture carried ideological meaning or none at all. The governing body has also ended pre-match poses by VAR room officials, and in overnight matches those in the VOR did not pose.

Source: Superdeporte