VAR Official Who Made Hand Gesture Returns To Duty

Video assistant referee (VAR) official Shaun Evans will return to duty as assistant VAR for New Zealand’s World Cup Group G match against Egypt on Monday, following his clearance by FIFA after an investigation into a televised hand gesture.

The Australian official will work alongside lead VAR Mohammed Khamid for the match in Vancouver, marking his first appointment since the controversy during Germany’s 7-1 victory over Curacao.

Evans came under scrutiny after television cameras briefly showed him in the VAR hub in Dallas making an inverted “OK” hand sign with his right hand. The gesture, which has been linked in some contexts to an expression associated with white supremacy, triggered widespread speculation on social media.

Following the incident, Evans strongly denied any intentional meaning behind the gesture.

“The coverage following this incident simply does not reflect who I am,” he said in a statement issued by FIFA.

“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.”

He explained that the movement was involuntary, saying video evidence from the VAR room supported his account.

“Images taken later during the match showed that I repeated this movement many times while holding a pen between my fingers,” Evans said.

FIFA later confirmed that an internal review found no wrongdoing.

After reviewing the incident, world football’s governing body said there was “no evidence of breaches of the FIFA Disciplinary Code” and that Evans would face no disciplinary action.

The governing body had briefly come under scrutiny for its pre-match presentation of match officials, which included showing VAR teams on camera before games and displaying their names and roles.

During the Germany–Curacao match, Evans was seen on broadcast cameras making the gesture as the VAR team was introduced from the Dallas referee hub.

Following the incident, FIFA quietly adjusted its broadcast presentation of VAR officials, with later matches showing referees already positioned at their monitors and no longer interacting with the camera.

Evans said he remains committed to his duties at the tournament, adding:

“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.”