Alex Paulsen has gone from Wellington Phoenix prospect to Premier League player to New Zealand World Cup squad member in under five years.
Here’s what we know about Alex Paulsen net worth, his contract, and his earnings as the 23-year-old goalkeeper backs up the All Whites at the 2026 World Cup.
Alex Paulsen’s Biography
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Alexander Noah Paulsen |
| Date of Birth | 4 July 2002 |
| Age | 23 |
| Nationality | New Zealand |
| Height / Weight | 193 cm (6’4″) / 82 kg (181 lbs) |
| Position | Goalkeeper |
| Current Club | Lechia Gdańsk (on loan from Bournemouth) |
| Turned Professional | 2021 |
| Net Worth | Estimated $1.5 million |
| Salary / Career Earnings | €1 million |
Early Life and Career
Paulsen was born in Auckland to a South African father and a Namibian mother, and football was not his first sporting love.
He grew up playing futsal alongside his brother Adam, who would go on to represent New Zealand’s national futsal team, and credits those years of close-quarters ball work for shaping his comfort on the ball as a goalkeeper.
He only settled into goalkeeping at age 13, having started out as an outfield player.
His youth career began at Eastern Suburbs before he moved to Onehunga Sports, where coach Hiroshi Miyazawa helped develop him.
In 2018, at 15, Paulsen relocated to Wellington to join the Wellington Phoenix academy, following the same pathway taken by Sarpreet Singh and Max Mata.
He spent several seasons in the club’s age-grade and reserve sides, featuring for affiliate clubs Wellington United and Lower Hutt City in the Central League along the way.
His breakthrough reserve-team season came in 2020-21, when he was named the competition’s Most Valuable Player despite Wellington Phoenix Reserves finishing bottom of the table.
That performance earned him his first professional contract, a three-year deal signed alongside fellow academy graduate Ben Old in September 2021.
Professional Career
Paulsen entered senior football as Oliver Sail’s deputy at Wellington Phoenix, making his A-League debut as a substitute in December 2021 after an injury to Sail.
He spent the next two seasons largely on the bench before Sail’s departure to Perth Glory opened the door in 2023-24.
Paulsen seized the opportunity, playing every minute of the campaign, keeping a club-record 11 clean sheets in 27 league matches, and saving three penalties.
The Wellington Phoenix finished second, their best-ever league result, while conceding the fewest goals in club history.
That season brought a clean sweep of individual honors: A-League Men Goalkeeper of the Year, the PFA Young Footballer of the Year award (shared with Nestory Irankunda), and a place in the A-League Men Team of the Season.
The performances also triggered Premier League interest. In June 2024, Bournemouth signed Paulsen for an initial fee of £850,000, rising to £2 million with add-ons, on a four-year contract running to the end of the 2027-28 season — a club-record departure fee for Wellington Phoenix.
Rather than sitting on Bournemouth’s bench, Paulsen was loaned to sister club Auckland FC for the 2024-25 A-League season under the Black Knight Football multi-club ownership group.
He started every match as Auckland won the league premiership in its debut season, was named A-League Goalkeeper of the Year for a second straight year, and helped the club set an Australian football record of 532 minutes without conceding.
He returned briefly to Bournemouth in mid-2025 before moving on a season-long loan to Polish Ekstraklasa side Lechia Gdańsk in August 2025, where he has continued playing regular first-team football.
Alex Paulsen’s Net Worth Details
As of 2026, Alex Paulsen’s has an estimated net worth of $1.5 million.
It reflects roughly five years of professional earnings, a club-record transfer fee from Wellington Phoenix to Bournemouth, and a top-flight contract that runs through 2028.
Contract
Paulsen signed a four-year contract with Bournemouth in June 2024, running until the end of the 2027-28 season.
The transfer carried an initial fee of £850,000, rising to around £2 million with performance add-ons, according to reporting on the move.
Bournemouth has used the loan system rather than first-team minutes to develop him, sending him to Auckland FC for 2024-25 and to Lechia Gdańsk for the 2025-26 season, with that loan running until 30 June 2026.
Salary
Paulsen’s exact salary is €1 million. Capology’s player salary database lists him among Lechia Gdańsk’s roster but does not publish his figures in open access.
His transfer value sits at roughly €837,000 as of mid-2026, which places him in the lower-middle tier of Premier League-affiliated goalkeeper valuations rather than among the league’s top earners.
Career Earnings By Year
| Season | Team | Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 2021-22 | Wellington Phoenix | Not publicly disclosed |
| 2023-24 | Wellington Phoenix | £850,000 (~$1.5 million USD) |
| 2024-25 | Bournemouth (parent club) / Auckland FC (loan) | Not publicly disclosed |
| 2025-26 | Bournemouth (parent club) / Lechia Gdańsk (loan) | ~€1 million |
Career Statistics
| Season | Team | Competition | Appearances | Clean Sheets |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-22 | Wellington Phoenix | A-League Men | 4 | 0 |
| 2023-24 | Wellington Phoenix | A-League Men | 29 | 12 |
| 2024-25 | Auckland FC (loan) | A-League Men | 28 | 13 |
| 2025-26 | Lechia Gdańsk (loan) | Ekstraklasa | 8 | 1 |
| International | New Zealand | Senior team | 6 caps | — |
FAQs
What is Alex Paulsen’s net worth?
Alex Paulsen has an estimated net worth of around $1.5 million. No official figure has been published, so this is a realistic estimate based on his contract, transfer fee, and market value.
How much did Bournemouth pay for Alex Paulsen?
Bournemouth paid an initial £850,000 for Paulsen in June 2024, with the fee rising to roughly £2 million including performance-related add-ons. It set a club-record departure fee for Wellington Phoenix.
Is Alex Paulsen playing at the 2026 World Cup?
Yes. Paulsen was named in New Zealand’s 26-man squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, announced on 14 May 2026. He is the backup goalkeeper behind Max Crocombe in Group G alongside Iran, Egypt, and Belgium.
Which clubs has Alex Paulsen played for?
Paulsen came through Wellington Phoenix’s academy, signed for Bournemouth in 2024, and has since gone on loan to Auckland FC and Lechia Gdańsk while remaining under contract with Bournemouth until 2028.
Does Alex Paulsen have a wife or girlfriend?
There is no verified public information about Alex Paulsen’s relationship status. He has not shared details about a wife or girlfriend publicly.
