A major controversy has erupted at the 2026 FIFA World Cup as a prominent discrimination monitor demanded the immediate removal of a video assistant referee (VAR) official for allegedly making a white supremacist hand gesture on a live global broadcast.
The incident occurred during Sunday’s pre-game broadcast of Germany’s opening tournament match against Curaçao in Houston. When the official feed cut to the World Cup broadcast center in Dallas to introduce the video review analysts, Australian VAR official Shaun Evans was seen making an "OK" hand symbol with his right hand in front of his leg, News.Az reports, citing Al Jazeera.
While historically benign, the gesture—where the thumb and forefinger form a circle with the remaining fingers extended—was officially designated as a hate symbol in 2019 by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) due to its widespread adoption by far-right extremists to signify "white power."
The Fare network, an anti-discrimination organization that partners with FIFA and UEFA to monitor international matches, released a blistering statement calling for Evans to be barred from the remainder of the tournament.
"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," the Fare network stated, explicitly branding the gesture as "neo-Nazi." "Clearly this official should have no further role to play in this World Cup."
Neither FIFA nor the Australian refereeing body have released an official response yet regarding Evans's status for upcoming matches.
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