Why the OK hand gesture is sparking World Cup controversy

The “OK” hand symbol is back in the news after an Australian official at the FIFA World Cup was accused of using it during a brief appearance on a camera prior to a game at the 2026 tournament. The ADL updated its database in 2019 to include the "OK" gesture, which initially gained traction as part of a 4chan trolling campaign designed to dupe viewers into believing the fingers formed the letters "W" and "P" to signify "white power." However, the ADL now states that extremists are also genuinely employing it as a sincere expression of white supremacy. Shaun Evans has come under scrutiny for his hand gesture during an appearance on camera prior to Germany’s defeat of Curacao (Screenshot / YouTube) This extremist association was notably highlighted when Brenton Tarrant, the Australian man charged with killing 51 people at mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, in March 2019, flashed the "OK" symbol during a courtroom appearance after his arrest. Tarrant also had the number 14 written on his rifle, a possible reference to the "14 Words," a white supremacist slogan, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center. The symbol sparked new controversy at the World Cup when Shaun Evans, a video review official, made an "OK" gesture during a broadcast. Evans, who worked Germany’s opening 7-1 win over Curaçao, was shown making the symbol with his right hand in front of his right leg as the official broadcast cut to introduce the video review officials. Kenosha shooter Kyle Rittenhouse at a bar in Wisconsin making a hand symbol that has been associated with white supremacists, internet trolls, militias and the word “ok." (Kenosha County District Attorneys Office) Evans vehemently denied any malicious intent, stating, "I did not intentionally make a hand gesture or symbol to communicate a message, affiliation, game or belief of any kind." He attributed the movement to an "involuntary, subconscious twitch" and noted that images from later in the match showed him repeating the movement while holding a pen. A FIFA committee ultimately concluded that the Australian official did not breach the sport's disciplinary code. However, FIFA’s discrimination monitor, the Fare network, had called for Evans' removal from the tournament. FARE, a long-time partner of FIFA and European soccer body UEFA that monitors racist and discriminatory chants, flags, and symbols, stated: "Advice from our experts is that the gesture used clearly resembles an upside-down ‘OK’ hand symbol used as a ‘white power’ symbol in global far-right circles." Christchurch mosque shooter Brenton Tarrant, who made the symbol during a court appearance, was sentenced to life in jail for the murder of 51 people (Getty) Describing the gesture as "neo-Nazi," Fare added, "Clearly this official should have no further role to play in this World Cup." The organization also questioned, "Why is a VAR supervisor using this symbol at a global football event at the very moment he knows the cameras are on him?" Australia's Professional Football Referees Association (PFRA) welcomed FIFA's outcome, defending Evans, a referee in Australia's top-flight competition since 2012. "The PFRA celebrates diversity across football and unequivocally rejects racism, discrimination and extremist ideology in all forms," the statement said. "We acknowledge Shaun’s public statement, in which he addressed the matter directly, and we recognize the importance of fairness, context and due process when concerns are raised." The incident occurred prior to Germany’s emphatic victory of Curacao (Reuters) Oren Segal, director of the ADL’s Center on Extremism, emphasized in 2019 that context is crucial when interpreting whether an "OK" symbol is hateful or harmless. He noted the ADL's initial reluctance to add it to the database "because ‘OK’ has meant just ‘OK’ for so long." However, Segal concluded, "At this point, there is enough of a volume of use for hateful purposes that we felt it was important to add." The ADL’s online "Hate on Display" database, launched in 2000, serves as a vital resource for law enforcement officers, school officials, and others to recognize signs of extremist activity. It has grown to include nearly 200 entries, featuring notorious symbols such as burning crosses, Ku Klux Klan robes, and the swastika. Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League, highlighted the dynamic nature of hate, stating, "Even as extremists continue to use symbols that may be years or decades old, they regularly create new symbols, memes and slogans to express their hateful sentiments."