Who Is Tim Payne, the Least-Known Soccer Player in the World Cup Who Has Gone Viral Thanks to an Internet Challenge?
An Argentine influencer’s video pushed the Wellington Phoenix and All Whites defender from 4,715 followers to more than 1 million, making him the A-Leagues’ second-most followed player.
- On Friday, New Zealand defender Tim Payne became a viral sensation after his Instagram following surged from fewer than 5,000 to more than 1 million followers driven by Argentine influencer Valen Scarsini's campaign.
- Argentine content creator Valen Scarsini, known online as 'El Scarso,' posted a video on Tuesday identifying Payne as the World Cup's 'least known' player and urged followers to 'start mentioning Tim Payne everywhere.'
- Payne's following now exceeds New Zealand captain Chris Wood's 162,000 followers and surpasses Scarsini's own 461,000, underscoring the stunt's rapid success.
- Payne messaged Scarsini expressing gratitude, saying 'it's been a pretty crazy 48 hours to say the least,' while noting his focus remains on representing his country.
- The All Whites prepare for Group G play, with Payne expected to compete for a starting spot against Iran on June 15, Egypt on June 21, and Belgium on June 26.
21 Articles
21 Articles
Talking about the 2026 World Cup is talking about Tim Payne. New Zealand’s phenomenon is still in everyone’s mouth, and now even FIFA itself has something to do with it. Payne became famous this week after Valen Scarsini, an Argentine content creator, decided to unite all of Latin America around the “less known player of the World Cup.” Within 48 hours, his Instagram account went from having 5,000 followers to more than 2.3 million. In addition,…
Sydney Morning Herald
Two million followers in three days: Why this random A-League battler has become a World Cup meme
Tim Payne, a defender for Wellington Phoenix and the New Zealand national team, has become an overnight global celebrity - precisely because nobody knew much about him.
New Zealand defender Tim Payne surpasses 1.9 million followers on Instagram and consolidates as the viral phenomenon of the World Cup 2026.
World Cup's 'least-known' star gains 1.5m followers overnight after viral stunt
New Zealand footballer Tim Payne has become an overnight viral sensation after a social media stunt from a South American influencer sought to find the World Cup's 'least-known' player.
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