Artist Wyland has filed a $25 million lawsuit against FIFA and other entities, alleging they illegally painted over his massive whale mural in downtown Dallas to make way for World Cup promotions. The mural, known as "Whaling Wall 82," covered approximately 17,000 square feet across two walls of a building and had stood for nearly three decades before workers began painting over it in May 2026, sparking public outrage.
Lawsuit Details
The lawsuit, filed Monday in U.S. District Court in Dallas, claims that World Cup organizers, along with the building's owner and management company, destroyed the artwork without the artist's consent or notification. Wyland argues that this violates the Visual Artists Rights Act (VARA), a 1990 federal law protecting publicly displayed works of art from destruction. The artist is seeking at least $25 million in damages, asserting that FIFA and others "hastily and irrevocably destroyed a civic landmark" to promote the World Cup.
Responses from Defendants
A FIFA spokesperson stated that the organization "has no involvement in this whatsoever" and directed inquiries to the tournament's local organizing committee. The North Texas FWC Organizing Committee declined to comment and is not named as a defendant. Slate Asset Management, which manages the building, said local World Cup organizers requested the mural space in March for a new public art installation. The company claimed it was not compensated and was told that Wyland had been notified.
Background
Dallas is hosting more World Cup matches than any other host city in the 2026 tournament, which is co-hosted by the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. Nine matches are scheduled at AT&T Stadium in suburban Arlington. Wyland's mural, completed in 1999, was part of his global "Whaling Walls" series promoting ocean conservation. An online petition protesting the mural's destruction has garnered over 2,600 signatures.
This case echoes a 2018 ruling where a judge ordered a property owner to pay $6.7 million to graffiti artists whose murals were whitewashed, citing VARA. That decision was upheld on appeal.
