Wellington: New Zealand defender Tim Payne has unexpectedly become a social media sensation after a football influencer encouraged fans to rally behind him ahead of the upcoming World Cup.
According to United News of Bangladesh, Argentinian influencer Valen Scarsini, known online as ‘El Scarso,’ identified Payne as one of the least recognized players in the tournament, which will be hosted across Canada, the United States, and Mexico. Scarsini based this observation on Payne’s relatively small social media presence.
Earlier this week, Payne’s Instagram follower count stood at about 4,700. However, after Scarsini’s endorsement, his followers surged rapidly, growing by nearly 1,000 per minute and surpassing one million by Friday. This sudden increase means Payne now boasts a larger social media following than New Zealand’s captain and most renowned player, Chris Wood of Nottingham Forest.
In a message to his followers, Scarsini explained that while fans usually support their own countries, they could also unite behind one player regardless of nationality. He conducted a search through all World Cup squads to find the least-known footballer and identified Payne as that player, noting that he had fewer than 5,000 followers at the time.