FIFA is said to be looking into an incident involving one of its World Cup referees, who appeared to flash a hand gesture associated with white supremacist groups prior to Germany 's game against Curacao in Houston, Texas.
Referee Shaun Evans was on VAR duty during Germany's commanding 7-1 win over Curacao when footage captured him staring directly into the camera before the opening whistle. The Australian A-League official appeared to display an upside-down "OK" hand gesture, which also carries associations with white supremacist symbolism.
While the sign is widely recognized as a standard "OK" signal and a popular emoji, its inverted use below the waist has attracted significant scrutiny. The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) noted in 2019 that the OK symbol has evolved into a "popular trolling tactic" among "right-leaning individuals, who often post photos to social media of themselves posing while making the gesture."
Evans' hand gesture quickly went viral on social media
The gesture is also tied to a schoolyard game in which anyone who spots the sign below the waist receives a punch, as per The Mirror US .
According to the Daily Mail , FIFA is aware of the incident and is expected to investigate Evans's context and intent.
This is not the first time the gesture has sparked controversy on the world sporting stage. The 2024 Paris Olympics witnessed a comparable situation, where an individual had their accreditation revoked after performing the gesture during a women's skateboarding final.
The viral moment came just ahead of Germany's dominant 7-1 victory over Curacao in the tiny Caribbean nation's World Cup debut.
Germany's Felix Nmecha struck the tournament's fastest goal to date after just six minutes, with Nico Schlotterbeck , two-goal Kai Havertz , Jamal Musiala , Nathaniel Brown , and Deniz Undav also getting on the scoresheet in a routine outing for Julian Nagelsmann's squad.
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However, in the 21st minute, before Germany pulled clear, Livano Comenencia drew Curacao level. It was the nation's first-ever goal at a World Cup, a milestone that cemented their status as the smallest country by both population and land area ever to grace the global finals.
"We expected to do more against Germany, but they were too strong," Curacao coach Dick Advocaat said. "We conceded three easy goals, and 4-1 would have been a better score. Despite this 7-1 outcome, the joy of the fans is fantastic.
"This is not a disgrace; we can still be proud. We still have two games to go, and those could end differently. The players will not be downcast; it was still great to play in this game."
Germany manager Julian Nagelsmann also offered praise for Curacao, despite his side piling on the goals following their first-half wobble. "It took us a few minutes to get back into the game after they equalized," Nagelsmann said.
"Curacao can play football too, as we saw, and I'm curious to see how they'll fare in the group going forward. I'm very satisfied with us scoring seven goals and our performance for the most part. A winning start is always important, and we're glad we managed it."
