Fourteen countries from the 2026 World Watch List are competing at the Winter Olympic Games. Here’s your guide on how to pray for them.
On February 6, athletes from around the world will gather together in Italy to walk in the opening ceremonies of the 2026 Olympic Games. People all over the earth will be watching events for the two weeks after the opening ceremonies, cheering on hometown heroes as they compete for Olympic gold.
At their best, the Olympic Games are a time for people from countries across the world to put aside differences and compete in a peaceful way, a reminder that all people share common humanity. For Christians, this can be extended—the Olympics can be a visible reminder that every human being is made in God’s image.
This year, you can take that one step farther and use the Olympics as a reminder to pray! This February, 14 countries participating in the Olympic Games are also on Open Doors 2026 World Watch List, the annual list of the 50 places where faith costs the most.
As you watch the Opening Ceremonies, here’s how you can pray for each country on the list.
For convenience, these countries are organized alphabetically, rather than by World Watch List ranking, so that you can pray for them as they make their entrance to the games.
China has 125 athletes competing in this year’s Olympics. Christianity in China is a threat that must be tightly controlled and contained – according to the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP). While there are registered churches in the country, these are closely overseen by the state, which monitors what is preached and who is present. Anyone under 18 is not permitted to attend.
Many churches decide not to register, meeting underground instead as house churches. This is an enormously brave move because it can bring raids, fines, arrests, imprisonments and the confiscation of materials. With incentives offered to report on such “illegal” activities, the risks facing those involved in house churches, particularly leaders, are deepening.
This is the third consecutive Winter Olympics that Colombia has participated. This year, they are sending a single athlete, cross-country skier Fredrik Fodstad.
While much of the population claims Christianity as its religion, there are parts of Colombia that are riddled with criminality. That fact can make life very dangerous for Christians, especially church leaders who are involved in activities that threaten the influence of gangs and cartels. Those activities could be helping former gang members rehabilitate, protecting young people from recruitment to gangs, or engaging in humanitarian work. It can lead to threats, extortion and even murder.
Christians living in indigenous areas can also face opposition. Faced with accusations that they have betrayed local traditions by choosing to follow Jesus, Christians can be targeted for threats, discrimination, legal complaints and imprisonment. Given these dangers, some believers choose to stay under the radar.
Eritrea is among the most dangerous countries in the world for followers of Jesus. At the 2026 Olympic Games, Eritrea will have one athlete participating in alpine skiing. Shannon-Ogbnai Abeda was the first Eritrean to compete in the Winter Olympics as a skier, and he returns this year for his third Games.
In Eritrea, the government recognizes only four religious groups. Christians who worship outside state-sanctioned churches face intense surveillance, violent police raids and indefinite imprisonment – often in brutally shocking conditions. Converts from Islam or the Eritrean Orthodox Church also risk rejection by their families and social exclusion, in addition to state persecution.
People who are forcibly drafted into the military face an indefinite period of service. There is no leniency for anyone unwilling to serve, and Christians in the military caught worshipping are punished severely. Christians face a devastating dilemma: endure persecution and forced service or flee the country through routes made hazardous by trafficking, danger and the risk of torture.
India has two athletes competing in this year’s Winter Olympics. But as you watch the exciting skiing events where Indians will be cheering on their countrymen, don’t forget to pray for India.
To religious nationalists in the country, to be Indian is to be Hindu, and that leaves no place for Christianity. The result is systemic discrimination and violence, particularly against converts. Social media is gravely exacerbating the problem, with accusations, disinformation and attacks often going viral and perpetuating false narratives around Christianity. Evangelistic activities are extremely risky. Another weapon increasingly used to target Christians and other religious minorities is the anti-conversion laws, currently enacted in 12 states and counting.
Even as uncertainty reigns in Iran after protests and brutal repression have taken place, four Iranian athletes will take to the slopes in Italy this year.
Christians in Iran are heavily and systemically repressed, as the authorities seek to root out what they see as a threat from the West to undermine their Islamic rule.
Converts are most in the firing line. House churches are commonly raided, often followed by arrests, interrogations, pressure to inform on other believers and long-term imprisonment. The conditions in prison are dire, and bail sums can be extortionately high, financially paralyzing families. For believers who are released, that typically comes with strict conditions, such as exile to another part of Iran, or self-censorship. They can also face hostility from families and local communities. Each year, thousands of converts flee Iran to escape persecution.
This Olympics, Kazakhstan will send 36 athletes to compete in Italy. After taking home no medals in 2022, the Kazakh team will be looking to capture at least a bronze in one of their eight events.
Christian freedoms in Kazakhstan are hugely curtailed by onerous restrictions and close surveillance – often under the pretext of countering the threat of extremist Islam. It has worsened considerably since 2010, as the authorities are seeking to tighten their grip on all aspects of Kazakh life. Raids, arrests and fines are not uncommon for believers from Protestant groups, such as Baptists and Pentecostals, who are deemed a foreign influence intent on undermining the Kazakh authorities.
The severest persecution is reserved for converts from Muslim backgrounds, who can face house arrest, beatings and expulsion from their community. Influential local leaders (with the support of the authorities) see conversion as an assault on Kazakh identity. Understandably, many converts choose to keep their new faith secret.
Kyrgyzstan has never won a medal at a Winter Olympics—but the Central Asian nation will try again in 2026 as it sends two athletes to compete. Yet as these talented skiers compete against the best athletes in the world, it’s vital for us to remember what’s happening to believers in the country.
Christians in Kyrgyzstan continue to face strong opposition from their families and communities, while hostility from the authorities has intensified with the introduction of tighter religious controls.
The repercussions facing those who have courageously left Islam to follow Jesus can be severe. They can include house arrest and physical violence, and the children of converts can encounter bullying at school. Imams (Muslim leaders) are sometimes enlisted to preach against converts, and they can cause converts’ expulsion from the community. In some parts of the country, the influence of the local Muslim community may mean that vulnerable Christians cannot rely on local authorities for protection and justice.
New laws governing religion have stifled the expression of local churches, including unattainable requirements for simply registering a church.
Mexico has five people competing in Italy this February—four in skiing events and one in figure skating. And even though most people in Mexico say they are Christians, the country ranks at No. 30 on the 2026 World Watch List.
The pervasive and widespread presence of criminal groups in Mexico puts many Christians in danger, particularly those who bravely seek to oppose criminality. Efforts by the authorities to address the issue have largely been ineffective, leaving vulnerable believers unprotected and without justice. In many places, cartels operate with near impunity, even infiltrating or replacing local authorities.
Persecution also affects believers living in indigenous communities. Those who stop following local beliefs and rituals to follow Jesus are exposed to fines, discrimination, imprisonment and displacement. Sadly, as is the case elsewhere, Christians can’t rely on the state for protection.
Morocco has never won a medal at the Winter Olympics. This year, two Moroccans will be competing in Italy. As you watch them, here are some things you should know about the situation for believers in Morocco:
It’s both rare and risky for anyone in Morocco to convert to Christianity – so unusual, that some Christians assume they are the only believers in their region or the entire country.
A huge challenge for Christians, both Moroccan and foreign, is that it is illegal to “shake the faith of a Muslim.” That means that any conversation about faith can be fraught with risk, potentially leading to arrest.
Converts can encounter intense pressure to renounce their faith, with tactics including isolation, expulsion, violence and even superstitious treatments by imams (Muslim leaders). Converts can lose their jobs. Even if some judges do uphold the cases of converts in court, family pressures can often render their verdicts irrelevant. Understandably, many believers keep their faith secret.
This is only the third Winter Olympics that Nigeria has participated in, and only one athlete is competing in Italy. But that shouldn’t obscure the fact that Nigeria is the most populous and one of the largest countries in all of Africa. It’s also the deadliest place in the world for followers of Christ.
Violent Islamic militant groups operate across northern Nigeria and into the country’s central region. Some of these groups—including Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), an offshoot of Islamic State—target followers of Jesus and any properties owned by Christians. Other Christians, particularly farmers in Nigeria’s Middle Belt, are confronted by Islamic militants among the Fulani people, who disproportionately attack Christian communities with horrific violence.
In recent years, violence has increased and spilled into southern states. Much of it is perpetrated by Fulani militants hiding in the forests.
In the 2026 Olympic Games, Pakistan has a single athlete competing, in downhill skiing. This year’s Games is a perfect opportunity to also remember the situation for Christians in Pakistan.
In Pakistan, Christians are exposed to many challenges, from everyday discrimination to the threat of deadly violence. Increasingly, Pakistan’s notorious blasphemy laws are used to intimidate Christians and other religious minorities. Even an accusation can provoke mob violence against victims, as well as their families and the wider Christian community.
Christians from a Muslim background can face severe repercussions for choosing to follow Jesus. These threats come from families and radical Islamic groups who see conversion as a shameful act of betrayal.
This is only the second time Saudi Arabia has participated in the Winter Olympics. They are sending two skiers to compete in Italy this year.
Nationalism and Islam are intertwined in Saudi Arabia, with Mecca and Medina venerated as significant sites by all Muslims worldwide. All Saudi citizens are considered Muslim, and Islamic principles and writings govern the way the country functions.
Converting from Islam technically carries the death sentence, though there has been no recent documentation of official executions for this offence. Public churches are banned, and converts must try to keep their faith a secret. Otherwise, they face being disowned and attacked by their families and clans. Government officials also sometimes target Saudi Christians at the request of family or community members. Despite all this, the small number of converts is growing. Most Christians in Saudi Arabia are migrant workers. They are affected by difficult policies, exploitation, enhanced surveillance of communications, and they can face abuse due to their ethnicity and low social status. They are prohibited from sharing their faith and risk arrest and deportation if discovered.
Though they’ve participated in the Winter Olympics since 1936 (with two exceptions), Türkiye has never won a medal during the Winter games. At this year’s Olympics in Italy, eight athletes will try their best to change that fact.
As you watch one of the four events where Turkish athletes will be competing, take a moment to think about the situation for your brothers and sisters in the country. Persecution is often driven by the notion that to be Turkish is to be Muslim. Anyone who openly practices a different faith, especially if they convert from Islam, is often regarded as betraying and dishonoring their family and their nation. This results in widespread discrimination.
Converts from Islam are vulnerable to harassment, rejection and threats of violence from both family members and radical Islamic groups. Many feel compelled to hide their faith and lead a double life. However, others boldly and openly live out their faith, reflecting diversity both within the Turkish church as well as within Turkish society.
In general, Christians face limited access to state employment and can experience discrimination even in private employment. In areas with ethnic conflicts, historical Christian communities are caught in the middle and sometimes forced out of their homelands.
Uzbekistan is sending two athletes to this year’s Winter Olympics, including their first ever entry in the short-track speed skating competition.
That’s primarily because churches can be hindered by cumbersome and unattainable restrictions. This includes a recently introduced requirement for churches to have a minimum number of members – and yet, for small congregations, that number is impossible to reach. Churches that fail to fall in line with government protocols – for example, by possessing “unauthorized” materials – are in danger of raids, arrests, threats and heavy fines.
Converts from Islam can also face strong opposition from their families and community, particularly those living in rural regions where Islamic and clan identity is strong. Unsurprisingly, many believers feel forced to keep their faith secret.
Prayer Passport
Looking for more resources to help you pray? Check out the latest Open Doors resource for kids!
Learn about the persecuted church with your child! Together, you can locate World Watch List countries on a map, pray for them, and mark each one off your Prayer Passport.
