In the lead-up to the 2026 FIFA World Cup co-hosted by Canada, the United States and Mexico, an unexpected viral social media movement has turned a little-known New Zealand defender into an overnight global soccer phenomenon. Thirty-two-year-old Tim Payne, a long-serving member of New Zealand’s men’s national team who just hit the milestone of 50 international caps after making his senior debut at age 18, has captured the hearts of soccer fans worldwide thanks to a coordinated campaign launched by an influential Argentine content creator.
The mastermind behind Payne’s sudden rise to fame is Valen Scarsini, better known to his online fanbase as El Scarso, a popular soccer influencer with more than 500,000 followers of his own. Scarsini set out on a mission to find the most under-the-radar, little-known player set to feature at this year’s World Cup, combing through every participating nation’s squad list and analyzing each player’s social media following to identify his pick. After sorting through hundreds of candidates, he landed on Payne, who had only amassed roughly 4,700 Instagram followers earlier this week.
In a post shared to his followers, Scarsini issued a unifying call to action: with just days remaining until the opening kickoff of the World Cup, why not rally behind a single underdog player that fans from every country could support, regardless of national loyalty? He urged his audience to mention Payne across every social platform, create short-form videos building up the “legend of Tim Payne,” and share photos of his sticker in World Cup collector albums, all with the goal of turning the anonymous defender into a household name before the tournament begins.
The campaign has exceeded all expectations, triggering an astronomical surge in Payne’s social media following. In the days since Scarsini shared his call to action, Payne has been gaining new followers at a staggering rate of nearly 1,000 new fans per minute, pushing his Instagram follower count past the one million mark by Friday. To put that growth in perspective, Payne’s following is now six times larger than that of New Zealand captain and global soccer name Chris Wood, the Nottingham Forest forward who has long been the All Whites’ most recognizable player.
The grassroots movement has grown so large that fans have even recorded an original dedicated track in support of Payne. The song’s Spanish chorus translates to: “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,” and closes with a catchy pun: “no Payne, no gain.”
The viral attention caught Payne entirely off guard, and he released a public statement Friday to respond to the outpouring of global support. “Was wondering why my socials were blowing up and found your post, man,” he said, addressing Scarsini directly. “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, nicknamed the All Whites, is making its third ever appearance at the men’s World Cup, having previously qualified in 1982 and 2010. The nation has yet to secure a win in World Cup competition, and will enter this year’s tournament drawn into Group G alongside Belgium, Iran, and Egypt.