World Cup racism monitor urges FIFA to remove match official over hand gesture on TV broadcast
FIFA is investigating after a discrimination monitor called for Evans’ removal, saying the gesture resembled a white supremacist sign.
- FIFA is investigating Australian video assistant referee Shaun Evans after he appeared to make an upside-down 'OK' gesture during Sunday's World Cup broadcast before Germany's 7-1 win over Curacao at Houston Stadium.
- While the gesture is traditionally used to signify approval, anti-discrimination network Fare warns it resembles a 'white power' symbol linked to global far-right circles in recent years; others defend it as the 'Circle Game,' a harmless prank.
- Professional consequences have followed similar accusations: the U.S. Coast Guard removed an employee in 2018 after comparable allegations, and DC United terminated an athletic trainer in 2023 for using the gesture on social media.
- The Anti-Defamation League urged FIFA to remove Evans from further officiating roles, stating a global audience should not be subjected to extremists using symbols during World Cup broadcasts.
- Evans, the 2024 PFRA Referee of the Year, is one of four Australian officials at the 2026 World Cup and has not yet commented publicly on the ongoing investigation.
227 Articles
227 Articles
The 2026 World Cup adds a new controversy. If the first had been a “brief technical interruption” in the VAR in the contested criminal charge to Switzerland against Qatar, now it adds a tie to the referees in the booth. In the duel between Germany and Curaçao, which concluded with an overwhelming 7-1 score in favor of the Germans, Australian judge Shaun Evans made an alleged gesture associated with racism and FIFA is already investigating it.Wha…
Australian referee Shaun Evans denied this Tuesday deliberately making a gesture associated with white supremacism during a World Cup broadcast and assured...
Was it a conscious gesture or just an "unconscious twitch", as Australian referee Shaun Evans claims. The short video sequence from the match Germany against Curaçao is now also occupied with Fifa.
Following the accusation of a racist hand gesture in the World Cup match between Germany and Curaçao, FIFA has released Australian referee Shaun Evans ... The post FIFA relieves World Cup referee due to alleged white power gesture appeared first on Apollo News.
Australian video assistant referee Shaun Evans drew criticism for a hand gesture he made during Germany's World Cup match. The international anti-racism network FARE described it as "neo-Nazi" symbolism. FIFA, however, saw no violation of its disciplinary code.
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