The 2026 Europe’s Strongest Man will take place on April 11th at the First Direct Bank Arena, Leeds. Being one of the most exciting competitions of the season, it attracts some of the greatest athletes in the world. The upcoming edition will be particularly interesting, as the lineup features four previous champions, including one former World’s Strongest Man champion, as per the organizer’s announcement on Instagram.
The lineup for the 2026 Europe’s Strongest Man is not complete yet, since more additions are expected by the time the competition rolls around. However, the athletes that have been confirmed so far show just how stacked the roster is, as it will be hard to predict who the podium finishers might be.
Note: We will make sure to update the article if any additions are made to the 2026 Europe’s Strongest Man lineup.
2026 Europe’s Strongest Man Lineup
- Luke Richardson
- Luke Stoltman
- Pavlo Kordiyaka
- Paddy Haynes
- Mateusz Kieliszkowski
- Oleksii Novikov
- Ondrej Fojtu
- Pavlo Nakonechnyy
- Matyas Funiok
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Lineup
Luke Richardson will be coming in as the defending champion, hoping to claim his third title at the prestigious Europe’s Strongest Man competition. Richardson has battled injuries on multiple occasions in his career but overcame all setbacks and managed to get back to his best. So, he is now one of the strongest men in the world and one of the favorites to take many coveted titles in 2026.
Luke Stoltman has been crowned Europe’s Strongest Man twice already, winning the show in 2021 and 2024. He is now hopeful of reclaiming the title, especially following the incredible transformation that he recently completed. So, Stoltman will fiercely battle in order to get back to the top of the podium.
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One man that many will be excited to see is Oleksii Novikov. The 2020 World’s Strongest Man and 2022 Europe’s Strongest Man have not competed at all since September of 2024. Instead, he made sure to properly recover in order to get back in contention for the biggest titles after a streak of bad results.
Another Ukrainian athlete will battle for the title of Europe’s Strongest Man in 2026, and that man is none other than Pavlo Kordiyaka. He won the competition in 2023 and has been chasing the same success ever since. Pavlo is one of the lighter athletes on the pro Strongman scene, but often excels in events that require agility or endurance. So, depending on the events, he can definitely be one of the biggest favorites for the title.
Mateusz Kieliszkowski has already claimed bronze medals at the 2018 and 2025 Europe’s Strongest Man competitions. However, he will be looking to move up to the top spot in 2026. Matuesz has been struggling with injuries for the past few years but still remained one of the most exciting athletes to watch. So, it would be great to see him come in without any major setbacks affecting him.
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With such a legendary lineup and four past champions in the mix, the 2026 Europe’s Strongest Man is set to be one of the most competitive shows in years. It remains to be seen if one of the former champions will be able to reach the top of the podium or if one of the other incredible Strongmen comes out victorious.
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