FIFA has concluded that there is no evidence to support claims that video assistant referee official Shaun Evans made a racist hand gesture before Germany’s FIFA World Cup match against Curaçao.
The incident attracted attention during the pre-match broadcast on Sunday when cameras showed officials working at the World Cup’s central video review hub in Dallas. Evans, an Australian official, appeared to make an “OK” hand sign while seated at his workstation.
The gesture has in recent years been linked by some groups to white supremacist symbolism, prompting scrutiny on social media and calls for FIFA to investigate.
Following a review, FIFA’s independent Disciplinary Committee stated on Monday that it had found no breach of its disciplinary code.
“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.
Evans strongly denied any racist intent, explaining that the movement was involuntary and carried no political, ideological or discriminatory meaning.
“I did not intentionally make a hand gesture or symbol to communicate a message, affiliation or belief of any kind,” Evans said in a statement. “The only explanation I can offer is that the movement was an involuntary, subconscious twitch.”
He added that footage captured later during the match showed him making similar movements while holding a pen, insisting the images did not reflect his character or values.
While acknowledging that some viewers interpreted the gesture differently, Evans expressed regret over the controversy and reiterated that he had not knowingly made the symbol in question.
FIFA confirmed that Evans’ explanation formed part of the evidence considered during its review. The Australian remains one of 30 video review analysts selected to officiate at the World Cup being staged across the United States, Canada and Mexico.
