Tim Payne meets viral influencer ‘El Scarso’ after follower surge

New Zealand footballer Tim Payne has met the Argentine influencer Valen Scarsini, known online as ‘El Scarso’, after a viral social media campaign saw the defender gain millions of new followers in a matter of days.

Scarsini had urged his audience last week to follow Payne, describing him as the ‘least known’ player at the World Cup, triggering a surge that took the Wellington Phoenix defender’s Instagram following from around 4,000 to 4.9 million.

The pair met for the first time at New Zealand’s training camp in Florida, where Payne was presented with a team shirt and thanked the influencer for his support.

“It’s obviously good for myself and New Zealand football too,” Payne said.

“It puts a light on us which is a positive thing but at the same time, for me, I don’t change.”

He added: “I’m still the person I am, so I just keep trying to do what I do, which is play football and focus on trying to perform for my country.”

Scarsini, who travelled to Florida to watch New Zealand in a pre-World Cup friendly, was asked by Payne about the sudden attention.

“Fly to Argentina!” Scarsini told him.

Payne’s rapid rise in popularity has now seen him surpass the follower count of New Zealand’s All Blacks rugby team.

New Zealand were beaten 4–0 by Haiti in their friendly at Inter Miami’s stadium and will face England in their final warm-up match before the World Cup, where they are drawn in Group G.