DALLAS (AP) — An unlikely rise to global fame has earned a little-known New Zealand soccer defender a once-in-a-lifetime career move: 38-year-old Tim Payne, who went from relative obscurity to international social media celebrity in the span of weeks, is set to leave his current club Wellington Phoenix to join Olimpia, the defending Paraguayan top-flight champion and one of South America’s most storied soccer institutions.
The details of the impending transfer were confirmed to The Associated Press on Tuesday by an insider close to the negotiation process, who spoke on condition of anonymity because Olimpia has not yet scheduled an official public announcement of the signing. The source also declined to disclose the financial terms of Payne’s upcoming contract with the club.
Payne’s explosive leap into the global spotlight traces back to a viral social media campaign launched by Argentine influencer El Scarso. The content creator set out to find the most low-profile player at this year’s FIFA World Cup, settling on Payne due to his tiny pre-tournament social media following. El Scarso called on his own followers to band together to turn the little-known New Zealander into a household name, and the campaign quickly caught fire across platforms.
In the weeks following the campaign’s launch, Payne’s Instagram follower count skyrocketed from just under 5,000 to more than 5.8 million, a more than 1,000-fold increase that captured the attention of clubs across the globe. The outpouring of support for Payne has even spawned an original fan song in Spanish, whose chorus declares devotion to the defender: “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.” The track also leans into a playful pun on Payne’s name, closing with the line “no Payne, no gain.”
Payne got the chance to show his on-pitch skills to his new global fan base earlier this week, starting in New Zealand’s opening Group G match against Iran that ended in a 2-2 draw on Monday. The All Whites, New Zealand’s men’s national soccer team, are still chasing their first ever World Cup win across three tournament appearances.