New Zealand defender Tim Payne has gained 5.6 million Instagram followers after an Argentine content creator launched an online campaign to make him famous.
The 32-year-old Wellington Phoenix centre-back had only 5,000 followers two weeks ago before the viral quest turned his life upside down.
Argentine content creator Valen Scarsini, known online as 'El Scarso', set out to find an unheralded player at the 48-team World Cup tournament in the US, Mexico and Canada. Scarsini, who has 1.2 million Instagram followers, wanted to see how far his mission to make a complete unknown famous could go. Payne now has more followers than the entire 5.3 million population of New Zealand.
The online movement has triggered extreme acts of fandom in South America. An Argentine DJ named Juanka Cassane even tattooed Payne's face on his lower leg. Payne and his wife Michelle Peters have seen their lives become of massive interest to a South American audience ahead of the All Whites' campaign.
Origin of the viral campaign
It all began when Scarsini asked what would happen if there was a player who united everyone regardless of nationality. He chose Payne because the Wellington Phoenix centre-back only had 5,000 followers on Instagram.
Payne won a Club World Cup bronze medal with Auckland City in 2014 and was previously confused with former Australian cricketer Tim Paine. He noticed his phone going mad with notifications as his follower count exploded, before discovering Scarsini was the mastermind behind the movement.
The fan community created a song called 'No Payne, No Gain' that gained traction online. Peters, who is a wedding photographer of Costa Rican descent, sang along in Spanish in an Instagram video of her own and thanked the new fans for their support.
She said: "You are geniuses, I haven’t stopped singing it and laughing at all the comments."
Peters added: "Tim will never understand Latin American humor, but that’s what he has me for. Thank you for adopting him Latam and giving him so much love. Please take good care of him."
Comments under the song hyped up Payne, with one user posting: "My mom gave me life, but Tim Payne gave me the motivation to live it."
Meeting in Florida
Earlier this week, Scarsini and Payne came face to face when the Argentine attended New Zealand's World Cup warm-up game against Haiti in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The All Whites lost 4-0 on Tuesday night, but the mood lifted the following morning when they met in a hotel in Boca Raton.
"My friend, how are you?" Scarsini shouted as he saw Payne.
"I'm good, bro, yourself? Lovely to meet you, como estas?" Payne replied.
Payne added: "I didn't know what to feel, you know, because it's (the attention) so foreign to me. I'm still processing, but it's amazing. And I appreciate you doing it for me, you know?"
Payne said he was delighted with the boost to both his profile and awareness of the national team. He said: "It's obviously good for myself and New Zealand football, too. It puts a light on us, which is a positive thing, but at the same time, for me, I don't change. I'm still the person I am. I just keep trying to do what I do, which is play football and trying to perform for my country."
Payne gave Scarsini a signed No 2 shirt and the duo posed for photos, with the interaction captured for social media.
New Zealand World Cup history
The campaign adds to the lore of New Zealand at the World Cup. The All Whites released a DVD titled 'Undefeated' after the 2010 World Cup, referencing a campaign where they drew all three group matches. They followed 1-1 draws with Slovakia and Italy with a 0-0 against Paraguay, though it was not enough to progress.
The Kiwis play Iran in their first Group G game on June 15 in California before facing Belgium and Egypt. It is the third World Cup in their history following the 1982 and 2010 editions, though they are yet to win a match. Millions of new fans will now be rooting for Payne and his teammates to break that duck.
