An American artist has filed a $25 million lawsuit against FIFA after one of his large public murals in downtown Dallas was painted over during preparations for the upcoming World Cup.
The artist, Robert Wyland, says his 1999 mural titled “Ocean Life” also known as the “Whaling Wall” was covered with paint without his permission or proper notice. The mural depicted whales and marine life and had been a well-known landmark in the city for decades.
The lawsuit claims that the mural was removed to make space for World Cup-related artwork as part of Dallas’s preparations to host matches in the tournament.
Wyland argues that the destruction violates the US Visual Artists Rights Act, which protects significant public artworks from being altered or destroyed without the artist’s consent.
He is seeking at least $25 million in damages, saying the mural’s removal caused serious cultural and artistic loss.
FIFA has denied direct involvement, stating that it was not responsible for the action and directing questions to the local World Cup organizing committee in Dallas. The committee and property owners have also been named in the lawsuit.
According to the complaint, the mural was painted over in May, sparking backlash from residents, art supporters, and conservation groups who say the work was an important environmental message and part of Dallas’s cultural identity.
The case is now before a federal court in the United States, and it could raise wider questions about how public art is protected during major international events like the World Cup.