FIFA Clears Referee After White Supremacist Gesture Allegation At 2026 World Cup

Published 16 June 2026 · sports

FIFA Clears Referee After White Supremacist Gesture Allegation At 2026 World Cup Published By, Last Updated: June 16, 2026, 07:02 IST FIFA has cleared World

FIFA Clears Referee After White Supremacist Gesture Allegation At 2026 World Cup Published By, Last Updated: June 16, 2026, 07:02 IST FIFA has cleared World Cup referee Shaun Evans of wrongdoing after investigating a controversial hand gesture during Germany vs Curacao, finding no breach of rules. Rapid Read (Screengrab from X) FIFA has cleared Australian referee Shaun Evans of any wrongdoing after an investigation into a hand gesture that sparked controversy during the FIFA World Cup. Evans, who was serving as a support video assistant referee during Germany’s match against Curacao on Sunday, came under scrutiny after television cameras captured him briefly placing his thumb and index finger together to form a circle with his right hand. The gesture, which has at times been associated with white supremacist and far-right groups, quickly drew attention on social media and prompted FIFA to launch a formal review.

FIFA referee under INVESTIGATION after flashing ‘White supremacist’ sign on live broadcast pic.twitter.com/8tWxQaME2w— RT (@RT_com) June 15, 2026 Following an investigation, football’s governing body concluded there was no evidence that Evans had violated any disciplinary regulations. “FIFA’s independent Disciplinary Committee can confirm that, after looking into the matter involving support video assistant referee Shaun Evans, it has found no evidence of breaches of the FIFA Disciplinary Code," FIFA said in a statement on Monday. Evans also addressed the incident, insisting the movement was completely unintentional and carried no political, ideological or symbolic meaning. “I would like to clarify that I did not intentionally make a hand gesture or symbol to communicate a message, affiliation, game or belief of any kind," Evans said. The Australian official explained that the movement appeared to be an involuntary action that he was unaware of at the time.

“The only explanation I can offer is that the movement was an involuntary, subconscious twitch and I was unaware I had done it at the time," he added. While acknowledging how the gesture had been interpreted by some viewers, Evans categorically denied any deliberate intent. “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. (with AFP inputs) News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit About the Author Siddarth Sriram After training in the field of broadcast media, Siddarth, as a sub-editor for News18 Sports, currently dabbles in putting together stories, from across a plethora of sports, onto a digital canvas.