VAR Referee Shan Evans Explains 'OK' Gesture as Unconscious Twitch

New York. Australian referee Shan Evans, who was in the role of Video Assistant Referee (VAR) in the 2026 World Cup, has stated that the 'OK' sign made with his hand in front of the camera was an unexpected and subconscious twitch. FIFA's detailed investigation did not find him guilty, after which Evans gave such an explanation in his defense. He claimed to have no recollection of making the gesture and completely denied intentionally communicating any message, affiliation, game, or belief. During the live broadcast from the referee center in Dallas before Germany's 7-1 victory over Curaçao on Sunday, 38-year-old Evans was clearly seen holding the fingers of his right hand in an inverted 'OK' shape. This gesture has two completely different meanings. One has a normal and harmless meaning, while the other is associated with 'white supremacy', i.e., racism. A major controversy and debate immediately started on social media regarding this matter. After a thorough study of the case, the world football governing body FIFA cleared him, stating that no evidence of violation of the 'FIFA Disciplinary Code' was found. After being cleared, Evans issued a statement through FIFA, saying, 'The news that came after this incident does not reflect my true identity and personality. Of course, I understand how people understood and interpreted the gesture, and I regret it, but I want to state with full clarity that I did not intentionally or consciously make such a sign.' He argued that video evidence from the match also confirmed his unconscious body movement. He clarified that he had repeated such movements many times in the latter part of the match while holding a pen between his fingers. Stating that officiating in the World Cup is the greatest honor of his football career, he expressed his eagerness to assist his colleagues in the remaining matches of the tournament. The Australian Professional Football Referees Association (PFRA) welcomed this decision. The association issued a statement stating that Evans has always represented professionalism, respect, and integrity, and emphasized that impartiality, context, and due process must be followed when questions arise. Following this controversy, FIFA has also changed its pre-match VAR broadcast style. In subsequent matches, when the VAR room is shown, referees are now seen working while facing the monitor rather than the camera. The background of Evans' inverted 'OK' gesture is similar to a prank that started with the famous American sitcom 'Malcolm in the Middle', which later became an internet meme. However, since 2017, this gesture has been used by far-right extremists to communicate with each other, and in 2019, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) included it in its list of hate symbols. Organizations working against racism, 'Fair Network' and 'Kick It Out', also sought clarification from FIFA regarding this. Evans, an experienced VAR who has been on FIFA's referee list since 2017, has also officiated matches in the 2022 Qatar World Cup.