WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — New Zealand defender Tim Payne has become an unlikely soccer superstar after an influencer from Argentina called on his followers to unite and make the little-known 32-year-old Payne a “hero” of the upcoming World Cup.
El Scarso, a soccer influencer also known as Valen Scarsini, identified Payne as the least-known player at the World Cup in Canada, the United States and Mexico based on his small social media following.
Payne had around 4,700 followers on Instagram earlier this week. After being singled out by El Scarso that number has risen at a rate of almost 1,000 per minute to more than a million by Friday.
Payne's following is now six times greater than New Zealand's captain and best-known player, Nottingham Forest forward Chris Wood.
“There are only a few days left before the World Cup starts and we are all waiting to cheer for our national team, but what if there was a player who united us all, a footballer we all support regardless of their nationality?” Scarsini said.
“I searched through all the national teams playing in the World Cup for the least known one and after analyzing them one by one I found him. In group G, in New Zealand, there is Tim Payne. He really is the least known. He doesn’t even have 5,000 followers.”
Scarsini, who more than 500,000 followers, implored his base to “start mentioning Tim Payne everywhere.”
"We have to start making videos feeding the legend of Tim Payne. If you have the World Cup (sticker) album, upload a photo with his sticker. The goal is to see how many people know Tim Payne before the World Cup starts.”
Now there's even a song supporting Payne, who recently made his 50th appearance for New Zealand after making his debut at 18.
The chorus, in Spanish, says: “I've got his back. I cheer him on. I've been rooting for him from the beginning. Tim Payne, from cradle to grave. You're a crack. I cheer you on, every step.” It continues “no Payne, no gain.”
Payne responded Friday to his new-found social media fandom.
“Was wondering why my socials were blowing up and found your post, man,” he said. “Appreciate the love! Gracias, hermano.
“I just want to say a massive thank you first to you Valen. It’s been a pretty crazy 48 hours to say the least. 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."
New Zealand is playing at the World Cup for the third time after qualifying in 1982 and 2010. It has yet to win a match.
The national team, known as the All Whites, is in Group G with Belgium, Iran and Egypt. New Zealand opens the tournament against Iran on June 15 at Los Angeles.
AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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