The least known player of the World Cup overshadows Messi and Cristiano

BarcelonaA week ago Tim Payne was an anonymous player, practically unknown to the general public. With just over 4,700 followers on Instagram, the center-back of the New Zealand team, ranked 85th in FIFA, was the least media-friendly footballer among the 1,248 called up for this summer's World Cup. But overnight he became internationally famous and his number of followers increased at a dizzying pace, becoming the viral phenomenon in the days leading up to the World Cup. Not Leo Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo: the man of the moment is Tim Payne.

One post can change your life

“What if the least known player became the protagonist of the World Cup? What would happen if there were a player who united us all, whom we supported beyond their nationality? Tim Payne is a defender and has a very difficult task: to help New Zealand win their first match in a World Cup,” Valen Scarsini, an Argentine content creator who calls himself Scarso, proposed through his social networks.

The response from his followers was massive, and Tim Payne's "networks exploded". In a few hours, the New Zealand Wellington Phoenix player reached one million followers and surpassed Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and the All Blacks, the national rugby team of New Zealand, one of the best in the world and the most popular team in the Oceanian country, in followers. Immediately, several advertising companies contacted Payne to sponsor him. At 32 years old, a post made 10,000 kilometers from home had changed his life on the eve of the World Cup. Not even Scarso himself imagined the extent it would have: "It got out of hand for me".

"It's been a pretty crazy 48 hours," Payne explained in a video he posted on his networks to thank Scarso for the viral campaign, who last year managed to get the unknown FC Balzers from the second division of Switzerland to have more followers than Basel, the most well-known team in the country.

"It won't be Yamal's cup"

This time the snowball has gotten even bigger, and even FIFA posted about the New Zealand player, to whom another content creator known as Che_soyjuan dedicated a song in Argentina, where everyone knows who he is. In Buenos Aires, many people will be following the matches of New Zealand, the Cinderella of the World Cup, who will face Iran, Egypt, and Belgium.

“It won't be Yamal's cup. As my grandfather used to say: 'Watch out for Tim Payne in the World Cup, he's the new Di María'”, says the song, called No Payne, no gain. The New Zealand league shared it on its social media and his partner, Michelle Peters, posted a video singing it in the car that also went viral. “I haven't stopped singing it and laughing at the comments. Tim will never understand Latin American humor, but for that he has me. Thanks for adopting him, Latam”, wrote Peters in Spanish, who has family in Costa Rica and masters the language.

“Literally, everyone is talking about Tim Payne. Whichever social network you open, his face appears. It's incredible that a video made from my home has caused all this. Tim is the star of the World Cup”, proclaimed a Scarso who has announced that this Wednesday he will personally meet the New Zealand player. He will travel to Miami to experience live the friendly match that the New Zealand team will play against Haiti, and after the match he will greet Payne for the first time, the least known player in the World Cup whom he has made famous 10,000 kilometers from his home.