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Tim Payne isn't the standout star of the World Cup. He's not competing for a title-chasing nation, and he doesn't represent a world-renowned club. Yet those are precisely the reasons he has amassed over three million followers in under a week.
The 32-year-old New Zealand utility player is heading to this summer's tournament as his country returns to soccer's grandest stage for the first time since 2010. The right back plies his trade for the Australian A-League's only New Zealand-based club, the Wellington Phoenix, but has already emerged as the unlikely folk hero of this summer's competition.
An Argentine soccer influencer named Valen Scarsini posted a video claiming Payne might be the least recognizable player at the World Cup, urging his audience to follow him and engage with his content. The experienced defender swiftly shot to overnight stardom.
"We have to start mentioning Tim Payne everywhere … We have to make videos featuring the legend of Tim Payne. We have to get Tim Payne on everyone's lips," Scarsini said in his initial English-language video, before releasing a similar one in Spanish.
"The goal before the World Cup is to see how many people know Tim Payne before the Cup starts. We have to build a good fanbase to cheer for him. I have faith [New Zealand] can go through."
Tim Payne Gets Song and More Followers than NHL, MLB teams
Since the surge in followers, Payne has become one of the most talked-about players at this World Cup, with countless comments humorously declaring that the tournament revolves around him rather than Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Lamine Yamal, Christian Pulisic, or anyone else.
The phrase No Payne, No Gain has spread across the internet alongside images of the versatile defender, and an apparently AI-generated song has featured in numerous viral clips, with Spanish lyrics likening him to Ángel Di María and hailing him as a legend once spoken of by grandfathers.
"It's been a pretty crazy 48 hours to say the least. I just wanted to also express that I'm very grateful to be representing my country at this World Cup, and I appreciate all the love from around the world," Payne wrote on his Instagram, noting that he isn't a heavy social media user, making the explosion all the more surprising. "Muchas Gracias."
Thanks to his viral moment, Payne now boasts more followers (3.9 million at the time of writing) than New Zealand Football Association itself, and surpasses every NHL franchise on the platform, while being outpaced only by the LA Dodgers and New York Yankees in MLB.
As for the least-followed player at the World Cup? Among those already named to official rosters, Curaçao backup goalkeeper Trevor Doornbusch holds just 1,700 followers, with 11 days remaining before his nation becomes the smallest country ever to compete at a World Cup.
A Tim Payne Coffee Shop?
Payne's New Zealand has suddenly become a highly sought-after draw. His nation will kick off their World Cup campaign against Iran in Los Angeles on June 15, before wrapping up their final two Group G fixtures at Vancouver's BC Place against Egypt and Belgium on June 21 and June 26.
The Vancouver crowds are expected to be lively, with a sizeable Kiwi and Australian community having embraced Canada's west coast as a place to live and work. Australia, meanwhile, will begin their tournament against Türkiye in Vancouver on June 13.
Just how far could Payne's popularity soar? There appears to be no ceiling. New Zealand supporters are now lobbying the beloved Canadian coffee chain Tim Hortons to temporarily rename a Vancouver location "Tim Payne's" in tribute to the newly celebrated defender.
Tim Hortons, which operates 48 locations across Vancouver with several near the stadium, has already leaned into the World Cup spirit by promoting a Tastes of the Globe lineup for their iconic donut holes, known as Timbits. The chain has a history of temporarily rebranding menu items for sporting occasions, with the Boston Cream donut frequently getting a new name when local teams face Boston opponents in the Stanley Cup playoffs and MLB postseason.