VAR official says hand gesture was 'involuntary, subconscious twitch'

To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. This video can not be played Figure caption, Fifa seek explanation over VAR official's hand gesture By Dale Johnson Football issues correspondent Published 15 June 2026 Video assistant referee Shaun Evans says an 'OK' sign hand gesture was "an involuntary, subconscious twitch" after he was cleared by a Fifa investigation. Evans said that he was "unaware" of making the hand movement and denied "intentionally" attempting to "communicate a message, affiliation, game or belief of any kind". The Australian could be seen making the fingers of his right hand into a upside down 'OK' sign when Fifa cut to a shot of the VAR team at the referee hub in Dallas before Germany's 7-1 win over Curacao on Sunday. Such a gesture has two very distinct meanings - one harmless and the other connected to an expression of white supremacy. World governing body Fifa said after looking into the matter that it found "no evidence of breaches of the Fifa Disciplinary Code". The incident was immediately subject to a huge amount of speculation on social media. "The coverage following this incident simply does not reflect who I am," Evans 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." Evans is available for selection for the rest of the tournament. 'No evidence of breaches of the Fifa disciplinary code' Fifa issued a short statement to confirm an investigation had been carried out but that the official would face no action. The 38-year-old Evans went on to explain that video evidence from the VAR room proved that he had made involuntary movements. "Images taken later during the match showed that I repeated this movement many times while holding a pen between my fingers," he said. "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." The Professional Football Referees' Association (PFRA) in Australia said it welcomed the outcome of Fifa's review. "Shaun has consistently represented the values expected of football officials: professionalism, respect and integrity," a statement read. "We acknowledge Shaun's public statement, in which he addressed the matter directly, and we recognise the importance of fairness, context and due process when concerns are raised. "The PFRA acknowledges the outcome of Fifa's review and supports Shaun as a member of the Australian refereeing community." Before matches during the World Cup, Fifa has been briefly focusing on the officials as part of its world feed global coverage. First, the referee, and the rest of his team, have walked to the touchline and a graphic has been displayed with their names and roles. Then the picture has cut to a shot of the VAR team at the referee hub in Dallas. Rather than s