From Obscurity to Viral Fame: How New Zealand's Tim Payne Became the 2026 World Cup’s Most Followed Player

The FIFA World Cup 2026 is rapidly approaching, promising a massive global spectacle as 48 nations prepare to compete on football's grandest stage across North America. While the tournament is typically dominated by household names and global superstars, this year's edition has already produced an entirely different kind of phenomenon off the pitch. Before a single ball has been kicked, the internet has found its unlikely hero.

Argentine social media influencer Valen Scarsini, known as 'elscarso' online, said "I looked at all the teams that play the World Cup for the least-known player and, after analysing one by one, I found it," in a video that has attracted over six million views across Instagram and TikTok.

He shared a video calling on his 697k TikTok and 458k Instagram followers to follow and make posts about a Wellington Phoenix player to boost his profile.

Scarsini pulled off a similar feat last year, when the Instagram follower count of second-tier Swiss side FC Balzers, the football club with "the smallest fan base", by his estimation, far exceeded that of top-tier champions FC Basel after he published a video calling his followers to action. This time around, his target was Tim Payne, a 32-year-old right-back for the New Zealand national team and A-League club Wellington Phoenix.

The Target: Tim Payne's Meteoric Rise

Before Scarsini's viral intervention, Tim Payne maintained a relatively low profile, with his Instagram following sitting at around 4,000 to 5,000 users. Identifying him as the tournament's most obscure participant, Scarsini asked his massive South American audience to "explode his posts with likes and comments" to make the veteran defender a household name.

The internet's response was staggering. In a matter of days, Payne's Instagram following skyrocketed from a few thousand to an astonishing 4.9 million.

To put this unprecedented surge into perspective, the New Zealand defender suddenly became the most-followed football account in his entire country. His numbers rapidly surpassed those of national team captain Chris Wood, the country's Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, and Australian cricket captain Pat Cummins. Incredibly, Payne even eclipsed the official account of his nation's legendary rugby team, the All Blacks, who hold 2.8 million followers.

Overwhelmed by the sudden influx of millions of fans, Payne posted a video from his team's pre-World Cup camp in Florida to express his gratitude.

"Please excuse my Spanish, I'm still practising on Duolingo," the 32-year-old joked, before switching to English to sincerely thank Scarsini and his newfound supporters. "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 represent my country at this World Cup, and I appreciate all the love from all around the world. Muchas gracias."

The virtual campaign culminated in a real-world meeting. As New Zealand's All Whites trained in Florida, Scarsini travelled to the United States to meet the player he had catapulted to stardom. The two connected ahead of New Zealand's Pre-World Cup friendly against Haiti at Inter Miami's stadium, with Payne thanking the influencer in person for the unexpected support.

As the FIFA World Cup 2026 gears up for kick-off, Tim Payne's story stands as a brilliant testament to the unpredictable, unifying power of global football culture. Whether or not New Zealand advances deep into the tournament, their veteran right-back has already secured his place as one of the most memorable and beloved figures of the competition.