FIFA World Cup 2026: How An Argentine Influencer Made NZ Defender Tim Payne A Global Social Media Name
An Argentine influencer's viral campaign turned a little-known New Zealand defender into the internet's most beloved footballer overnight, ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026.
The FIFA World Cup 2026 has not even kicked off yet, and it has already produced its first unlikely star. Tim Payne, a right back for Wellington Phoenix and New Zealand's All Whites, was virtually invisible on social media just days ago. Then an Argentine influencer with a knack for championing underdogs found him, and the internet did the rest. What followed was one of the most wholesome viral moments in recent football history.
How Valen Scarsini Spotted the "Least Known" Player at the World Cup
Argentine influencer Valen Scarsini, known online as "elscarso," made a video encouraging his audience to give Wellington Phoenix and All Whites defender Tim Payne likes, comments, and follows, after deciding he was the least-known player at the World Cup.
In the video, spoken in Spanish and racking up nearly 4 million views on Instagram and over 2 million on TikTok, Scarsini explained his method: "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. He is really the least known. He does not reach 5000 followers."
Scarsini, who has over 1 million followers across TikTok and Instagram, called on his audience to "unite" and support Payne during the tournament. The move was generous, spontaneous, and remarkably effective.
From 4,700 Followers to Over a Million in Days
The numbers tell a story that no marketing campaign could manufacture. Until May 2026, Payne had barely 4,700 followers on Instagram. After the community campaign aimed at "feeding the legend" of the footballer ahead of the World Cup, his account surpassed half a million followers.
Within just 24 hours, Payne's following exploded from 4,715 to more than 630,000, making him the most popular footballer in New Zealand. He now has three times the online following of All Whites captain Chris Wood and more followers than All Blacks star Ardie Savea.
His last post, from March when he played his 50th game for New Zealand in a FIFA World Series match, has since been viewed more than 500,000 times and attracted nearly 70,000 comments.
Payne himself reached out to Scarsini after noticing the surge. "Was wondering why my socials were blowing up and found your post, man. Appreciate the love! Gracias, hermano," he wrote.