FIFA has cleared Australian support video assistant referee Shaun Evans after accusations that he made a white supremacist hand gesture during the World Cup broadcast. Multiple reports say Evans was seen during Sunday night’s match, with footage showing his right hand forming a circle using his index finger and thumb in front of his right leg. The gesture was linked online to far-right extremist groups, leading FIFA to open an investigation.
Evans said he did not intend to communicate any message, affiliation, game-related meaning, or belief. In a statement cited by outlets, he described the movement as an involuntary, subconscious twitch and said he was not aware he had made the gesture at the time. While he said he understands how the gesture could be interpreted and regretted the impact, he maintained that it was not knowingly or deliberately made.
According to FIFA’s disciplinary process, the independent Disciplinary Committee found no evidence that Evans breached the FIFA Disciplinary Code. As a result, FIFA concluded there was no wrongdoing.
