Tim Payne

Club career

Auckland City and Waitakere United Born in Auckland, Payne attended Sacred Heart College and started his youth career with ASB Premiership club Auckland City before switching to play for rivals Waitakere United. Payne played a major role in Waitakere United's success in the ASB National Youth League in 2010.

Blackburn Rovers After impressing at the 2011 FIFA U-17 World Cup Payne trialled with Premier League side Blackburn Rovers and then spent several months training at the club. Days after celebrating his 18th birthday Payne signed a two-and-a-half-year contract with Rovers in January 2012. Due to work permit issues that prevented him from playing for Rovers, he was released at the end of his contract.

Wellington Phoenix In July 2019, Payne signed a one-year contract with A-League side Wellington Phoenix. Payne made his A-League debut for the Phoenix in the first match of the 2019–20 season in a 0–1 defeat against Western United on 13 October 2019 — Payne was substituted in for Louis Fenton in the 68th minute. On 3 January 2020, it was announced that Payne had signed a two-year contract extension with the Phoenix. On 10 June 2020, Payne pleaded guilty to a drink-driving charge after a shirtless late-night joy ride in a golf cart in Sydney while the team was supposed to be in self-isolation. He was subsequently ordered by the court to pay a AUS$700 fine.

On 4 November 2023, in his 93rd appearance for the Phoenix, Payne scored his first goal for the club following an overlapping run and a well-taken finish with his weaker left foot. The Phoenix defeated Brisbane Roar 5–2 at Sky Stadium, Wellington. Payne scored a career-high 3 goals in 23 appearances during the 2023–24 season.

During the 2024–25 season, Payne made 20 appearances in the league. He scored one goal during the season, scoring in a 2–0 win against Perth Glory at HBF Park, Perth, on 26 October 2024. On 17 December 2024, Payne signed a new three-year contract with the Phoenix, until the end of the 2027–28 season.

In the 2025–26 season, Payne made 14 appearances in the A-League Men and 2 appearances in the Australia Cup. On 26 October 2025, Payne suffered a broken collarbone in a 2–1 win against the Brisbane Roar in Wellington.

Club Olimpia On 19 June 2026, the Wellington Phoenix announced that they had accepted an undisclosed transfer fee for Payne from Paraguayan División de Honor side Olimpia. The transfer fee is believed to be in the vicinity of $500,000.

On 14 July 2026, Payne officially joined Olimpia. Payne made his debut for the club on 2 August, coming on as a substitute for Raúl Cáceres in a 5–0 win over Rubio Ñu. He scored his first goal for the club during the match.

International career Payne represented New Zealand at under-17 level. He played 90 minutes in each of his sides four matches at the 2011 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Mexico.

In May 2012, Payne received a call-up from Ricki Herbert to the senior national team alongside fellow youngster and under-17 teammate Cameron Howieson. He made his first appearance in a 1–0 win against Honduras on 26 May 2012, coming on as a substitute for Leo Bertos and playing the final 15 minutes of the match. He subsequently made an appearance off the bench in the 2012 OFC Nations Cup. Payne was named in New Zealand's team for the 2012 Olympics.

On 30 March 2026, Payne received his 50th cap for New Zealand in a 4–1 win over Chile as part of the 2026 FIFA Series. With this win, New Zealand achieved their first ever win against a South American national team.

On 14 May 2026, Payne was announced to be in the All Whites squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Personal life On 28 May 2026, he became the target of a viral social media campaign by Argentinian influencer Valen Scarsini, who directed his followers to support Payne specifically as the "least known" player at the 2026 World Cup. As a result, Payne's Instagram follower count grew from under 5,000 to more than 550,000 in less than a day. Within three days, he had reached more than 3.2 million followers, making his Instagram account the most followed football-related page from New Zealand. In response, Payne posted a video thanking Valen and his new fans for his newfound fame, saying, "I just wanted to also express that I'm very grateful to be representing my country and I appreciate all the love from all around the world".

On 3 June, Scarsini attended New Zealand's World Cup warm-up friendly against Haiti, and met Payne at New Zealand's training camp the following morning, where he was gifted a jersey from Payne. As of July 2026, Payne has 5.5 million followers on his Instagram, making him the second-most followed New Zealand athlete behind Israel Adesanya.

Career statistics Club

International

Scores and results list New Zealand's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Payne goal.

Honours Auckland City New Zealand Championship: 2014–15 New Zealand Premiership: 2009–10, 2014–15 FIFA Club World Cup Third Place: 2014

Waitakere United New Zealand Championship: 2010–11 New Zealand Premiership: 2010–11

Blackburn Rovers Premier League Asia Trophy Third Place: 2011

Eastern Suburbs New Zealand Championship: 2018–19

New Zealand FIFA Series runner-up: 2026 OFC Nations Cup: 2024 OFC U-17 Championship: 2011

Individual PFA A-League Team of the Season: 2023–24 A-Leagues All Star: 2024