FIFA Demands Clarification After VAR Official’s Upside‑Down OK Gesture

Mon Jun 15 2026 18:31:37 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

FIFA seeks an explanation over the controversial hand gesture made by VAR official Shaun Evans during a World Cup match. The incident has sparked social media backlash and calls for clarity.

During Germany’s 7‑1 win over Curacao, VAR official Shaun Evans made an upside‑down OK hand gesture that has been interpreted as a white‑supremacy symbol. FIFA has asked Evans for an explanation, but no official response yet. The incident triggered widespread speculation and criticism from anti‑racism groups such as Fare and Kick It Out. After the match, FIFA altered how VAR crews are presented in pre‑match footage, no longer featuring them in front of cameras but instead focused on their screens.

FIFA Demands Clarification After VAR Official’s Upside‑Down OK Gesture

Germany’s 7‑1 victory over Curacao this Sunday was marred by an unexpected moment in the VAR room.

While the conventional post‑match pre‑shot usually features the referee team fronting their monitors, crop circles and focusing on their duties, the German‑Curacao match showed VAR official Shaun Evans making a hand gesture that many interpreted as a upside‑down “OK” sign – a gesture that some have identified as a white‑supremacy symbol.

The gesture sparked immediate backlash on social media, with anti‑racism organisations demanding explanation. Several groups, including Fare and Kick It Out, wrote to FIFA requesting clarity on the matter.

FIFA has so far not issued an official statement but has asked Evans for a full explanation. The Australian VAR has been on FIFA’s roster since 2017 and officiated at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

After the incident, FIFA changed the pre‑match footage for the following three games – the VAR teams were no longer posed before the camera. Instead, they faced their screens, a subtle shift that may signal a new protocol on how officials are presented in broadcast feeds.

What Is the Upside‑Down OK Gesture? The gesture resembles a prank from the “Malcolm in the Middle” sitcom, where the symbol is used as a playful sign. However, since around 2017, far‑right groups have appropriated it as a covert “white power” sign. In 2019, the Anti‑Defamation League added the upside‑down OK to its list of hate symbols.

The controversy highlights how seemingly innocuous gestures can carry extremist undertones, especially in high‑profile sporting events.