New Zealand World Cup Player Finds Social Media Fame After Being Touted by Soccer Influencer
An Argentine influencer’s viral push lifted the All Whites defender from 4,715 Instagram followers to 660,000, with more Spanish-speaking personalities joining in.
- Argentine influencer Valen Scarsini launched a social media campaign to boost All Whites defender Tim Payne's online presence, growing his following by 400,000 in recent days.
- A 32-year-old Wellington Phoenix defender, Payne was selected for Darren Bazeley's 26-player World Cup squad and looks to add to his 50 New Zealand caps during the tournament.
- Following support from Spanish-speaking personalities Javier Ibarreche and Iker Ruiz, Payne's Instagram following surged from under 5,000 to 660,000, with one post climbing from 276 to 250,000 likes.
- Surprised by the sudden attention, Payne messaged Scarsini: "Was wondering why my socials were blowing up and found your post, man," acknowledging the influencer's role in his viral growth.
- New Zealand, the lowest-ranked team at the World Cup, opens its campaign against Iran in Los Angeles on June 15, with Payne now holding the largest following of any New Zealand-related football account.
69 Articles
69 Articles
Los Angeles Times
New Zealander Tim Payne has become a figure of football after an influencer from Argentina called on his followers to join and turn the little-known 32-year-old defender into an “idolo” of the upcoming World Cup.
New Zealand's Zagueiro went from 4.7 thousand to 1.7 million followers in just three days
An Argentine influencer found that Tim Payne was the footballer with the least followers of the 2026 World Cup, so he activated a campaign to make him viral
With the help of Argentinian content creator El Scarso, New Zealand's defender now has more Instagram subscribers than his country's Prime Minister.
An Argentine influencer called for massive follow-up to the player who had the least number of followers among all those who will participate in the World Championship this summer. The result was spectacular.
From nowhere to the social media phenomenon: how an Argentine influencer makes the New Zealand footballer Tim Payne the favourite of 1.4 million fans.
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