World’s Strongest Soldier Expanding Into International TV Series

The military competition format World’s Strongest Soldier is set to expand into a full six-episode television series, with production scheduled for 2026 across locations in Finland and Germany. The concept first appeared as a standalone TV special produced in Finland in 2025. The program brought together active professional soldiers from multiple countries to compete in demanding challenges designed to test strength, endurance, tactical decision-making, and weapon handling skills.

The feature image above shows Maarten, as he engages steel targets with a Nordic Components AR-15. Below you can see a Glock 45 Optics working the steel as well.

Production of the 2026 series will include six episodes filmed at two primary locations. One part of the competition will take place at an undisclosed military base in Germany, while additional filming is scheduled at the Pori Security Training Center in Finland.

The competition format blends elements of strength athletics with military-style obstacle courses and practical firearms stages. According to the organizers, the shooting stages are structured as controlled competition environments where participants complete practical-style shooting tasks while under physical stress.

“World’s Strongest Soldier focuses on the performance and professionalism of soldiers,” says WSS founder Markku Suonenvirta. “The goal is not to portray combat, but to highlight the skills, resilience, and discipline required in the profession.” Markku should know, as he was crowned Finland’s Strongest Man back in 1989.

Competitors are expected to come from multiple NATO and partner nations. The 2025 production featured participants representing eight countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Belgium, Latvia, and Finland.

Alongside the main series, the production team also plans to release a behind-the-scenes documentary covering the development of the show and the military training environments used during filming.

About the World’s Strongest Soldier

World’s Strongest Soldier is a competition format created by Finnish strongman competitor and event organizer Markku Suonenvirta. The concept combines elements of international strength sport competitions with military-style challenges performed by professional soldiers.

The format is produced independently in cooperation with industry partners and international media organizations.

For more details, check these socials:

Website: https://www.worldsstrongestsoldier.com/ 

Instagram: @ worldsstrongestsoldierofficial 

YouTube: @ WorldsStrongestSoldier

Do you have what it takes to be the World’s Strongest Soldier? Get in contact with the organizer and get going!