Let’s know more about the personal life of Tim Payne, who became a social media sensation in less than a week after a joke completely transformed him from a defender to an internet celebrity
Not sure of the current social media buzz and the cult hero of the FIFA World Cup 2026? Worry not, we’ve got you covered!
Who is model Michelle Peters, wife of New Zealand footballer Tim Payne
Tim Payne, whose full name is Timothy John Payne is a professional footballer from New Zealand and plays as a defender for Wellington Phoenix in the League-A and for the national team of the New Zealand.
Why is He Trending?
Ain’t no way 🤣😭 Argentine football fans have made a SONG for viral full back Tim Payne!
The Wellington defender has gained 600,000 followers in less than 24 hours and this saga just keeps getting better 😅 pic.twitter.com/jApne3bL0W
— Isuzu UTE A-League (@aleaguemen) May 28, 2026
Ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026, Tim Payne became the global sensation after an Argentine social media influencer took to social media in the last week of May 2026 to find out “least known player” competing in the World Cup 2026.
The social media influencer known by the name Valen Scarsini professionally goes by the username @elscarso, selected Payne as the “least known player” playing in the championship.
Additionally, the influencer urged his followers to shower the 32-year-old player with likes, comments, and follow.
This campaign instantly became popular as Payne who had 4,000 followers and his followers count instantly increased to 4 million.
Is Tim Payne Married?
Tim. pic.twitter.com/OEIikz5U9N
— New Zealand Football 🇳🇿 (@NZ_Football) May 31, 2026
Yes, the 32-year-old footballer is married to a model and professional photographer based in Wellington, New Zealand.
Who’s Tim Payne’s Wife?
Tim Payne’s wife Michelle Peters, runs her own event and wedding photography business in Wellington. In addition, she also works as a model.
The couple tied the knot in 2024 and soon afterwards they gave birth to a son.
Michelle, who goes by @michellepetersm on Instagram and has 135K followers with only 71 posts, has Costa Rican & New Zealand roots through her mother & father respectively.
View this post on Instagram
Net Worth
Although, at the time of writing this article there is no information on her net worth as prior to her husband’s fame, the duo kept their personal life private, so there isn’t any verified information. But various reports estimated Payne’s roughly net worth to be $1 million to $2 million.
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