American Artist Sues FIFA for Destructing "Whaling Walls" Mural

American environmental artist Robert Wyland has filed a $25 million federal lawsuit against FIFA and building managers for covering up his iconic, 27-year-old downtown Dallas whale mural, as his 17,000-square-foot civic landmark was painted over with blue paint to promote the upcoming 2026 World Cup matches without the artist's notice or consent.

Wyland claims the destruction of his 1999 "Whaling Wall" violates the Visual Artists Rights Act (VARA), which protects public art from being intentionally distorted or destroyed without the artist's permission.

Artist Wyland is seeking at least $25 million in damages, alleging that world football governing body FIFA and other defendants "hastily and irrevocably destroyed a civic landmark" as part of preparations for the World Cup.

In the lawsuit, Wyland argues that while FIFA claimed it was creating artwork for the host city, it instead "defaced a historic fixture" that had long been part of the city's identity.

FIFA has completely denied any responsibility regarding the painted-over "Whaling Wall" mural in downtown Dallas, explicitly stating, "FIFA has no involvement in this whatsoever".

FIFA referred questions directly to the North Texas FIFA World Cup Organizing Committee. The local committee has declined to comment on the active lawsuit, though they previously stated the space was being used to "celebrate and build excitement" for the tournament.

"Whaling Walls" is a famous global collection of 103 massive, public marine-life murals painted by the environmental artist Robert Wyland, Spanning from 1981 to 2008. His monumental project aimed to raise international awareness for ocean conservation. He painted life-sized grey whales, humpback whales, blue whales, and dolphins across massive building exteriors, skyscrapers, and sports arenas.

(This article is written by Amatallah Waheed, a student of English & Foreign Languages University, interning with Deccan Chronicle.)