Kevin Payne passed away on Sunday. He was a manager for two Major League Soccer teams and was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 2021. He was 69.
American soccer executive Kevin J. Payne served as president and general manager of Toronto FC from March 5, 1953, until December 25, 2022. From 1994 through 2012, he served as the organization’s president and CEO. He served as vice chairman of the U.S. Soccer Foundation as well as chairman of the technical committee and as a board member for the U.S. Soccer Federation.
Statements confirming his passing were released by U.S. Soccer, Major League Soccer, and D.C. United, who won two U.S. Open Cups and four MLS championships under Payne’s leadership. According to The Washington Post, Payne passed away in Charleston, South Carolina, from a lung condition.
“He will always be remembered as a dedicated champion of our club, MLS, our community and soccer in the U.S.,” D.C. United’s statement said.
From 1994 to 2001, Payne served as president and general manager of D.C. United, and from 2004 to 2012, he served as president and CEO. In addition, he served as executive director and CEO of US Club Soccer from 2015 to 2021, a member of the MLS Board of Governors for 18 years, and president of Toronto FC from 2012 to 2013.
Payne was “important in the founding of the League,” according to MLS Commissioner Don Garber, and he “helped build D.C. United into the first MLS dynasty.”
“Kevin leaves a legacy not only of success in business and sports, but he will also be remembered for his strong moral compass, his kindness, and his devotion to his friends and family,” Garber said in a statement. “His passing will be deeply felt by everyone at MLS and throughout the entire soccer community.”
Earlier life of Kevin Payne, Where is he from? What about the family members
Kevin Payne was born on March 5, 1953. He was 69 years old and was of American nationality.
Growing up, in college, and at the amateur and semipro levels, Payne played soccer. After working as a top resort marketing and special events executive in Vail, Colorado, and as an award-winning radio journalist in New York City, Payne was appointed national administrator of the USSF in 1989.
He was appointed head of marketing and deputy executive director for the federation in the fall of 1990. He relocated to New York in 1991 and quickly rose through the ranks at Soccer USA Partners, which controlled all marketing, broadcasting, and event promotion rights for the US men’s national soccer team in the run-up to the 1994 FIFA World Cup.
When Payne joined Soccer USA Partners (SUSAP/API Soccer) in 1991 as executive vice president of sales and marketing, he left the federation the following year. In early 1994, he was named president of the organization. In addition to organizing more than 60 U.S. national team games, including the 1992 and 1993 U.S. Cups, this sports marketing company also generated more than $35 million in sponsorships for U.S. Soccer and U.S. Youth Soccer.
Who is Kevin Payne’s Wife? Personal life and Death
Ashley and Rebecca were Payne and his wife, Pamela’s daughters, and the couple made their home in Reston, Virginia.
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In Charleston, South Carolina, on December 25, 2022, at the age of 69, he passed away from idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.
