# Jason Zahler wins 5th Major Championship!

**Source:** IFPA  
**Type:** article  
**Published:** 2026-06-08  
**Beat:** Pinball

**URL:** https://www.ifpapinball.com/jason-zahler-wins-5th-major-championship/

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## Analysis

Jason Zahler won the IFPA21 World Pinball Championship in De Pere, Wisconsin, claiming his 5th Major Championship title and becoming only the 5th player in competitive pinball history to reach this milestone. The event featured 14 previous Major Champions and competitors from 20 countries competing for over $40,000 in prizes, with Daniele Acciari finishing 2nd, Timber Engelbeen 3rd, and Gregory Kennedy 4th.

### Key Claims

- [HIGH] Only 36 players in competitive pinball history have won a Major Championship — _IFPA official championship report_
- [HIGH] Jason Zahler qualified as #1 seed and defeated four opponents (Carlos Delaserda 4-1, Eric Stone 5-4, Timber Engelbeen 4-1, Daniele Acciari 4-1) — _IFPA official tournament results_
- [HIGH] Jason Zahler is only the 5th player in competitive pinball history to win 5 Major Championships — _IFPA official championship statistics_
- [HIGH] IFPA21 World Pinball Championship featured competitors from 20 different countries — _IFPA official event report_
- [HIGH] Daniele Acciari earned his 14th top 4 finish in Major Championships (2nd most all-time) — _IFPA official championship statistics_
- [HIGH] Timber Engelbeen earned his first top 4 finish in Major Championships — _IFPA official tournament results_

### Notable Quotes

> "After qualifying as the #1 seed, Jason Zahler defeated Carlos Delaserda (4-1), Eric Stone (5-4), Timber Engelbeen (4-1) and Daniele Acciari (4-1) to capture his 5th Major Championship, becoming only the 5th player in competitive pinball history to do so."
> — **IFPA**
> _Documents Jason Zahler's championship victory and historic achievement of 5 Major Championship titles_

### Entities

| Name | Type | Context |
|------|------|---------|
| Jason Zahler | person | Competitive pinball player who won IFPA21 World Pinball Championship, earning his 5th Major Championship title |
| Eric Stone | person | Competitive pinball player who reached the championship finals, losing to Jason Zahler 5-4 |
| Daniele Acciari | person | Competitive pinball player and previous Major Champion who finished 2nd at IFPA21, earned his 14th top 4 Major Championship finish |
| Timber Engelbeen | person | Competitive pinball player who finished 3rd at IFPA21, earned his first top 4 finish in Major Championships |
| Gregory Kennedy | person | Competitive pinball player who finished 4th at IFPA21, earned his 2nd top 4 finish in Major Championships |
| Carlos Delaserda | person | Competitive pinball player who competed in IFPA21, lost to Jason Zahler 4-1 in championship bracket |
| IFPA21 World Pinball Championship | event | Major pinball championship tournament held in De Pere, Wisconsin at District 82, with $40,000+ prize pool and 14 previous Major Champions competing |
| District 82 | venue | Pinball venue in De Pere, Wisconsin that hosted IFPA21 World Pinball Championship |
| IFPA | organization | International Federation of Pinball Associations, governing body for competitive pinball |

### Signals

- **[competitive_signal]** Jason Zahler won IFPA21 World Pinball Championship as #1 seed, securing his 5th Major Championship title (confidence: high) — Official IFPA tournament results reporting Zahler's championship victory and final match results
- **[competitive_signal]** Jason Zahler becomes only the 5th player in competitive pinball history to win 5 Major Championships (confidence: high) — IFPA official statement: 'becoming only the 5th player in competitive pinball history to do so'
- **[competitive_signal]** Only 36 players total in competitive pinball history have ever won a Major Championship (confidence: high) — IFPA historical data: 'very few (36 in fact) have had the chance to call themselves a Major Champion'
- **[competitive_signal]** IFPA21 Championship featured competitors from 20 different countries, indicating global reach of competitive pinball (confidence: high) — IFPA event report: 'competitors from 20 different countries'
- **[event_signal]** IFPA21 World Championship held at District 82 venue in De Pere, Wisconsin with $40,000+ prize pool (confidence: high) — Event details: prize package of over $40,000, hosted at District 82 in De Pere, Wisconsin

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## Transcript

In the history of competitive pinball, very few (36 in fact) have had the chance to call themselves a Major Champion. Like professional golf or tennis, the opportunity to join this elite club only happens a handful of times every year. District 82 in De Pere, Wisconsin played host to the IFPA21 World Pinball Championship, featuring 14 previous Major Champions and competitors from 20 different countries competing for glory and a prize package of over $40,000. IFPA21 brought together two finalists looking to add their name to this list (Timber Engelbeen and Gregory Kennedy) and two finalists looking to add to their already established legacies (Jason Zahler and Daniele Acciari). After qualifying as the #1 seed, Jason Zahler defeated Carlos Delaserda (4-1), Eric Stone (5-4), Timber Engelbeen (4-1) and Daniele Acciari (4-1) to capture his 5th Major Championship, becoming only the 5th player in competitive pinball history to do so. With his 2nd place finish, Daniele Acciari earned his 14th top 4 finish in Major Championships (2nd most all-time). 3rd place went to Timber Engelbeen who earned his first top 4 finish in Major Championships. 4th place went to Gregory Kennedy who earned his second top 4 finish in Major Championships. To view the most current list of Major Championship stats, click HERE.

_(Acquisition: web_scrape, Enrichment: v5)_

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*Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-08-04 | Item ID: 6b0b9650-c152-482d-b848-e4b539b69830*