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FIFA is investigating an incident involving World Cup referee Shaun Evans, who appeared to make a controversial hand gesture prior to the match between Germany and Curacao in Houston, Texas. Evans, an Australian A-League official serving as a VAR referee during Germany’s commanding 7-1 victory, was seen looking into the camera before kickoff while seemingly forming an upside-down “OK” sign-a gesture that has been linked to white supremacist symbolism.
Traditionally used to mean “OK” and popular as an emoji, the upside-down version of this hand sign-especially when made below the waist-has drawn criticism for its association with a trolling tactic adopted by some right-leaning groups, according to the Anti-Defamation League. The ADL highlighted in 2019 that this symbol had been co-opted as a form of provocative messaging on social media. Additionally, the gesture is known in playground culture as part of a game where a person who looks at the sign below the waist is punched.
FIFA is aware of the gesture and is expected to look into the context and intent behind Evans’s action. This is not the first time such a gesture has stirred controversy at major sporting events; a similar incident occurred at the 2024 Paris Olympics, resulting in the individual’s accreditation being revoked during the women’s skateboarding final.
The gesture drew attention just before Germany’s dominant World Cup debut against Curacao, where Felix Nmecha scored the tournament’s fastest goal after just six minutes. Other goal scorers included Nico Schlotterbeck, Kai Havertz with two goals, Jamal Musiala, Nathaniel Brown, and Deniz Undav, securing a comfortable win for Germany under manager Julian Nagelsmann.
Curacao’s Livano Comenencia made history by netting the nation’s first-ever World Cup goal in the 21st minute, momentarily leveling the score. Curacao is now the smallest country by population and area to participate in the tournament finals.
Despite the heavy loss, Curacao coach Dick Advocaat expressed pride in his team’s performance and the support from their fans, stating, “We expected to do more against Germany, but they were too strong. 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.”
Nagelsmann also commended Curacao’s level of play, acknowledging their capability to compete. “It took us a few minutes to get back into the game after they equalized.
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.”
FIFA’s ongoing review of the referee’s gesture underscores the organization’s sensitivity to political and social issues intersecting with the world of sport, especially amid the high-profile stage of the World Cup.