Australian Shaun Evans made the “ok” sign at thigh height before Germany x Curaçao; users on social networks related the symbol to the expression “White Power”
Video assistant referee Shaun Evans became one of the most talked about topics on social media this Sunday (June 14, 2026). During the broadcast of the World Cup match between Germany and Curaçao, users associated a gesture made by the Australian with symbols used by white supremacist groups. The image was shown before the start of the game, during the referee team’s presentation.
📹 Referee goes viral after gesture is associated with white supremacy
⚽️ Video assistant referee Shaun Evans became one of the most talked about topics on social media this Sunday (June 14, 2026). During the broadcast of the match between Germany and Curaçao for the World Cup,…
— Poder Sports MKT (@sportsmktbr)
In the images, Evans is seen with his thumb and index finger together, forming a circle, while the other 3 fingers remain stretched out. The gesture is widely known in different countries as an “ok” sign, but it has also been appropriated by white supremacist groups in the United States.
In this interpretation, the 3 extended fingers would represent the letter “W”, for “white” (“white”, in English), while the circle formed by the thumb and index finger, together with the rest of the hand, would refer to the letter “P”, for “power” (“power”). The expression “White Power” means “White Power”. There is, however, no indication that the referee made the gesture with this meaning. FIFA did not comment on the episode.
According to FIFA’s official schedule for Germany x Curaçao, Shaun Evans acted as AVAR 3, one of the video referee assistance roles. The main VAR for the match was Hamza El Fariq, from Morocco. The field referee was Jalal Jayed, also Moroccan.
A (Anti-Defamation League), an organization that monitors extremism and anti-Semitism, includes the gesture in its database of hate symbols, but states that the sign also has common, non-extremist uses. Therefore, he says that it is necessary to evaluate the context before concluding the intention of those who use it.
FIFA has not yet commented on the case.
