Tackle persecution at the World Cup

Get your free World Cup 2022 Prayer Wall Chart!

Tackle persecution at the 2022 World Cup and cheer on followers of Jesus who courageously live out their faith in places of intense hostility.

Love football? Of course you do! But did you know that playing at the 2022 World Cup are seven countries that feature on the Open Doors World Watch list. That’s seven countries where Christians face extreme or very high levels of persecution because of their faith in Jesus. So, this World Cup we want you to kick off about the injustice, violence, threats, exclusion and intimidation millions of Christians face on a daily basis. Make a start by downloading, printing out and sticking up your free World Cup Wall Chart to pray as they play, then check out some of the fundraising ideas too.

Get your free World Cup Wall Chart!

To help you tackle persecution at the 2022 World Cup we’ve created a vey special free World Cup Wall Chart to help you pray when they play and chart the route of different teams (including England and/or Wales of course) through the tournament. The chart includes all the World Cup fixtures, plus a little overview of each of the seven countries that are on the World Watch List that are playing in the tournament. Trust us, it’s excellent.

Our stocks of printed copies are now running low, but we’ve created some simplified downloadable versions you can print off at home yourself. Just use the links below to get yours.

Download the full A3 Version (if you have an A3 printer)…
You can just print this one out on an A3 sheet if you have an A3 printer.

Download a version split across to A4 pages (if you have an A4 printer)…
You’ll need to stick the two A4 pages together once printed, but that adds to the fun, right?

Join our World Cup Fantasy League!

As well as our Wall Chart and fundraising ideas, you can also get involved in our special World Cup Fantasy Football League!

We know some of you will love pouring over the player stats and building the best possible team, so why not join our league and pit your selections against loads of others who will also be praying for Christians in the seven countries at the World Cup on the World Watch List? And, as a special bonus, there will also be a excellent prize for the league winner – a free ticket to one of the following 2023 events of your choice: Dreaming the Impossible, Limitless, Luminosity, Satellites, Summer Madness, Magnitude or the National Youth Ministry Weekend. That’s pretty good, right?

Click this link to join: https://play.fifa.com/fantasy-classic/join-league/IXV3M6JH

Tactical insights

The following seven teams feature in the 2022 World Cup but are also on the current Open Doors World Watch List (the toughest 50 places on earth to be a Christian). Check through these quick facts to gain some tactical insights and see why we want you to pray when they play.

1. Iran (No.9)
Iran is a deeply Islamic society – so teaching the Bible, telling others about Christianity or praying to Jesus could lead to being arrested and imprisonment.
2. Saudi Arabia (No. 11)
Saudi believers from a Muslim background can face violent threats from extended family and publicly leaving Islam carries the death penalty (though this hasn’t been carried out recently).
3. Qatar (No. 18)
The host nation, where the authorities don’t officially recognise conversion from Islam. Christians from a Muslim background keep their faith a secret.
4. Morocco (No. 27)
It’s illegal to ‘shake the faith’ of a Muslim in Morocco, which means Christians who talk about their faith with others can face prosecution.
5. Tunisia (No. 35)
No new church has been granted registration since 1956, whilst those converting from Islam can face attack and death threats.
6. Mexico (No. 43)
Those converting from indigenous religions can be forced from their homes and criminal gangs target Christians who speak out against them.
7. Cameroon (No. 44)
A civil war has been going on since 2017, meaning there is less security in the north where the extremist Islamic group Boko Haram actively target Christians.

So, whichever team you’re supporting during the 2022 World Cup, make sure you also cheer on your persecuted church family too! Download our free World Cup Wall Chart and pray as the tournament unfolds.

Raise the fun(ds)

One reason we love the World Cup is that it’s a brilliant way of getting people together. So why not use the World Cup as a way to raise some vital funds for our persecuted church family?

£30 could send a Christian young person at risk of persecution from North Africa to a youth camp, helping them to grow in faith and find friendship with other young Christians.

£160 could provide 20 young people from Central Asia with a Bible in their own language.

Here’s some quick and simple ideas you could try…

Raise money, or want to give?

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imprisoned, falsely accused, and hated simply for following Jesus.

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