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The 2026 World Cup features nearly 175 rules officials who are tasked with overseeing the games as the tournament unfolds. That includes Shaun Evans, a referee from Australia overseeing video replay who landed in hot water over the hand signal he flashed during a match between Germany and Curaçao.
The World Cup is the biggest sporting event on the planet, and it’s made possible with the help of the referees who have proven they have what it takes to hold their own on soccer’s biggest stage before being tapped to work the tournament.
52 people were selected to serve as the center referee during matches at the 2026 World Cup (although Somalia’s Omar Abdulkadir Artan was denied access to the United States over alleged ties to terrorism before it got underway), and they’ll be supported by the 88 assistant refs who earned the honor as well as the 30 video assistants overseeing VAR reviews.
That last group includes Shaun Evans, a 38-year-old Australian who made his World Cup debut in Qatar in 2022 and was invited to return for this year’s edition. However, there’s a chance his time at the tournament could come to a premature end based on the controversy he managed to spark with a hand gesture.
World Cup video assistant referee Shaun Evans is at the center of a FIFA investigation over an “OK” signal that has multiple meanings
On Sunday, Germany and Curaçao kicked off their World Cup runs in Houston in a game where the former had no trouble with an opponent that ended up on the wrong end of a 7-1 result.
Jalal Jayed served as the main referee on the field for that showdown, but he had a supporting cast in the VAR room that included Evans, who was briefly captured on the broadcast in a shot that provided viewers with a glimpse inside the situation room.
However, he subsequently found himself at the center of controversy over the “OK” gesture he subtly deployed while facing the camera.
Australian Shaun Evans just pulled the move of all moves from the VAR room at the World Cup pic.twitter.com/0HK0dWrE11
— Matt Vandenberg (@M1D3V) June 15, 2026
According to the BCC, Fare, the anti-discrimination watchdog that works with FIFA, took issue with a gesture it noted is “used as a ‘white power’ symbol in global far-right circles” (it can trace its origins back to 4chan trolls who tried to subvert the meaning of the “OK” sign in 2017 before it became unironically adopted by figures who actually peddle in white supremacy).
However, things get a bit murky when you consider the symbol is also at the center of the “Circle Game,” a dumb and largely harmless prank where you flash it below your waist and punch anyone you can get to look at it in the arm.
It seems like there’s a very good chance that Evans was trying to have some fun during his moment in the spotlight, but FIFA is reportedly “looking for answers” from him as it investigates the incident. The governing body has not issued an official statement, but it’s worth noting broadcasts did not cut to the VAR room during the three games that were played after the match Evans was overseeing.