World Cup 2026: Sean Evans, the VAR official who signaled the hand, is back in charge

FIFA issued a brief statement on Monday saying an investigation had been carried out and that no action would be taken against the official.

Evans went on to explain that video evidence from the VAR room proved he had made an involuntary movement.

“Photos taken later during the match show me holding a pen between my fingers and repeating this movement many times,” he said.

“Officiating at the World Cup is the biggest honor of my career and I look forward to supporting my colleagues throughout the rest of the tournament.”

Before World Cup matches, FIFA briefly focused on the officials as part of its global coverage.

First, the referee and the rest of his team move to the touchline and a graphic with their names and roles is displayed.

The film then cuts to a shot of the VAR team at the referee hub in Dallas.

Instead of showing up at their workplaces and looking at their monitors, they posed briefly for the camera and their names appeared on the screen.

When the camera cut to the VAR room ahead of the Germany-Curaçao match, Evans was standing with his arms by his side – and then the fingers of his right hand were seen forming an upside-down ‘OK’ sign.

There was a noticeable change in the pre-match ritual after the Germany-Curacao game.

When the VAR hub was shown in later matches, the officials were already facing the monitor. We never saw them look at the camera again, although their names were still displayed.