By Gladies Rajan - June 18, 2026
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New Zealand soccer player Tim Payne became a viral World Cup story before the tournament began. His Instagram following jumped from under 5,000 to millions after an Argentine influencer's campaign.
Argentine content creator Valen Scarsini, known as "El Scarso," posted a video identifying Payne as the "least known" player at the World Cup based on Instagram following, and encouraged followers worldwide to support him regardless of nationality. The campaign quickly gained traction, turning Payne into a global talking point.
Payne later met Scarsini in person and thanked him for the sudden wave of support, describing the experience as "very crazy". What started as a playful online challenge has now made Payne one of the most talked-about names heading into the World Cup.
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