Who would have thought that a 17,000-square-f00t mural spread across eight floors, a significant piece of a city’s pride, would be wiped out as if it were a stain? That’s exactly what happened to Wyland’s iconic mural in downtown Dallas, which got painted over without any notice. However, Wyland isn’t letting it slide this easily, as he is now fighting back by suing FIFA for $25 million. It isn’t just a fight for his artwork but about erasing a landmark that meant a lot to the Dallas community.

Environmental artist Wyland filed a $25 million lawsuit in Texas federal court against FIFA, claiming that the federation and its partners painted over the mural for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The work crew painted over most of the mural with blue paint on May 15. But why does it matter so much? Because it wasn’t just a piece of art but a social message that stood there for decades.

The artwork, which is also known as “Ocean Life” or Whaling Wall 82, was created as a part of Wyland’s 100-piece Whaling Wall series to raise awareness of ocean pollution. The mural had a vibrant ocean scene filled with marine life, which later became a major landmark of the city. Now, painting that out has hurt Wyland’s and the entire community’s emotions.

Dallas residents have also shown their dissatisfaction with the entire act. Texas-born singer Kacey Musgraves bashed the entire mural removal incident on Instagram, saying, “We suck the soul out of everything.”

Wyland’s attorney, Andrea Perez, described the main reason behind this move – to protect artists’ rights.

“Artists bring beauty, identity, and economic value to our cities,” Perez said. “Their rights deserve the same protection we give to any cornerstone of civic life.”

The lawsuit also targets the companies that own and manage the building where the mural was located. As per Wyland’s lawyers, the mural was protected by a U.S. law, the federal Visual Artists Rights Act of 1990, that gives artists certain rights over important works of art. Under that law, people generally cannot destroy or remove a protected artwork unless the artist agrees in writing beforehand. And Wyland never gave written permission for the mural to be painted over.

Now, with the lawsuit, FIFA is also facing online backlash. More than 2,600 people have signed an online petition asking FIFA to pay for a new mural in downtown Dallas. Dallas residents and other supporters want FIFA to help replace the artwork that was painted over and create a new public mural for the community so that their artwork is preserved.

However, FIFA already placed itself out of the entire drama. Back in May, the North Texas FIFA World Cup Organizing Committee explained its reason behind the move, saying it is to “celebrate and build excitement for the upcoming World Cup 2026.” And now FIFA smartly distanced itself from the entire controversy. In a statement to ESPN, they said, “FIFA has no involvement in this whatsoever and refers all inquiries on this matter to the host city committee.”

No matter who wins or loses in the end, it’s the artist who suffers. If suddenly one day you remove the art form that was the city’s part for 25 years, it will hurt people’s emotions.

The fight of knowing and not knowing

It all started with a cease and desist letter from Wyland’s attorneys, but when no action was taken, they were forced to turn it into a lawsuit.

Now the fight mainly centers around how Wyland wasn’t asked for his permission before doing it. But as per information obtained by the building owner’s spokesperson, Wyland was already notified about the mural project in March, before the work began. But Wyland claims that wasn’t the case.

“They did everything wrong,” Wyland said. “They didn’t give any notice; they didn’t call me. You know, they lied.”

The local FIFA World Cup organization explained that they always wanted to replace the mural with a new artwork created by a Dallas artist. They even had discussions with FIFA about using the wall.

Now, many might believe that Wyland is doing this for money, but that’s not the case; as per his legal letter, he will not keep any money if he wins the lawsuit. Instead, he will give it all to support art programs, conservation projects, and the local arts community.

“Artists should have the rights to their work,” Wyland said. “That thin piece of paint on that wall belongs to the artist.”

In the end, Wyland’s fight is to protect an artist’s work. For years, artists’ work has been seen as something that can be easily replaceable. Just take artist Kent Twitchell’s example, who painted his famous “Ed Ruscha Monument” mural back in 1987. It featured a 70-foot-tall portrait of artist Ed Ruscha. But in 2006, during construction on South Hill Street in Downtown Los Angeles, it got painted over accidentally.

Twitchell also filed a lawsuit in 2008 and won a $1.1 million settlement from the federal government. Now, hoping for a similar result, Wyland is fighting this lawsuit to preserve his art.