World Cup referee caught in suspected white supremacist move: what does the hand gesture mean?

A World Cup referee has sparked controversy after a pre-match video clip from Germany’s 7-1 win over Curaçao went viral online. Assistant VAR official Shaun Evans appeared to look directly into the camera and make a reversed “OK” hand gesture before kickoff at Houston’s NRG Stadium, prompting accusations online that it resembled a symbol associated with white supremacist groups.

Will Shaun Evans be punished for hand gesture?

According to reports, FIFA is aware of the incident and is investigating the context and intent behind the gesture. Evans, an Australian referee who also works in the A-League, was part of the video review team for the Group E match.

While the symbol is commonly used to mean “OK”, some extremist groups have adopted it in certain contexts, leading to scrutiny whenever it appears in public. One social media user reacted bluntly: “Stop acting like an idiot.” At the time of writing, FIFA had not yet commented.

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