Own fansong
He went from being a nobody to becoming a new World Cup star
June 8, 2026 – 7:34 p.mReading time: 2 minutes
In the football cosmos, Tim Payne was actually a nobody. But an Argentine influencer may have made him the biggest star of the World Cup.
The World Cup already has a star before it starts: Tim Payne. Tim, who? Argentine influencer Valen Scarsini asked himself the same question and started the social media project to turn the previously little-known New Zealand national team defender into an internet star with the help of his subscribers.
Scarsini, also known as El Scarso on Instagram, identified the 32-year-old Payne as the World Cup’s least known player in the United States, Canada and Mexico, based on his small social media following.
“Player who unites us all”
“There are only a few days left until the start of the World Cup and we are all looking forward to cheering on our national team. But what if there was a player who unites us all, a footballer who we all support regardless of his nationality?” asked Scarsini, who has more than 550,000 followers on Instagram.
He urged his fans to make Payne an internet phenomenon. With success: Before Scarsini’s call, Payne still had around 4,700 followers on his Instagram account. After El Scarso’s call, the number rose rapidly – to over 5.4 million followers by the Monday before the tournament started. This means he now has more subscribers than the country’s popular national rugby team.
There is even a Spanish-language fan song that is spreading rapidly on social media. It could also become a hit in the World Cup stadiums – similar to how the fan chant “Will Grigg’s on fire” became the melody of the 1990s hit “Freed from desire” about the Northern Irish player Will Grigg at the 2016 European Championships.
Meeting as part of a test game
Payne, who plays for Wellington Phoenix in New Zealand, is delighted with his newfound fan base. He was surprised that his social media channels had exploded so much. “First of all, I’d like to thank you very much, Valen. It’s been a pretty crazy 48 hours,” Payne wrote on Instagram shortly after the call. “I also just wanted to express that I am very grateful to represent my country and I really appreciate all the love from around the world.” During the New Zealanders’ friendly against Haiti last Wednesday (0:4) in the US state of Florida, Payne even met initiator Scarsini.
New Zealand is taking part in the World Cup for the third time. The All Whites have not yet won a game. In Group G, Payne and his New Zealand teammates face Iran, Egypt and Belgium.