FIFA cleared a video assistant referee Monday after footage of him making an upside-down OK sign sparked immediate speculation on social media about its meaning. The gesture has two distinct meanings, one harmless and the other associated with an expression of white supremacy.
Australian official Shaun Evans, 38, was visible making the gesture when FIFA cut to a shot of the VAR team at the referee hub in Dallas before Germany's 7-1 win over Curacao on Sunday. According to BBC Sport, the incident triggered significant social media debate almost immediately.
FIFA said after looking into the matter that it found "no evidence of breaches of the Fifa Disciplinary Code." Evans will remain available for selection for the rest of the tournament.
Evans issued a statement through FIFA addressing the incident directly. "The coverage following this incident simply does not reflect who I am," he said. "Of course, I understand how the gesture has been interpreted and I regret this, however I want to be very clear and categorically say that I did not knowingly or deliberately make the hand symbol suggested."
Evans said he was "unaware" of making the movement and denied "intentionally" attempting to "communicate a message, affiliation, game or belief of any kind." He explained that video evidence from the VAR room showed he had made involuntary movements throughout the match. "Images taken later during the match showed that I repeated this movement many times while holding a pen between my fingers," he said. Evans described the gesture as "an involuntary, subconscious twitch."
He also addressed the significance of his role. "Officiating at the World Cup is the biggest honour of my career and I look forward to supporting my colleagues for the rest of the tournament," Evans said.
FIFA's pre-match coverage had been briefly cutting to the VAR team at the Dallas hub, showing the officials posing for the camera before matches began. After the Germany-Curacao game, that practice changed. In subsequent matches, the officials were shown already facing their monitors rather than looking toward the camera, though their names were still displayed on screen.
