New Zealand Footballer Tim Payne Thanks Influencer for Viral Fame Boost

New Zealand footballer Tim Payne has quickly risen to become the second most followed athlete in his country on Instagram, largely thanks to the support of Argentinian influencer Valen Scarsini, also known as "El Scarso." This surge in popularity saw Payne's follower count leap from 4,000 to nearly 4.9 million in just a week.

The two met for the first time on Wednesday at a training camp in Florida, where Payne expressed his gratitude to El Scarso and presented him with a signed jersey. "It's obviously good for myself and New Zealand football too," Payne stated. "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, so I just keep trying to do what I do which is play football and focus on trying to perform for my country."

With this recent influx of followers, Payne's Instagram has surpassed that of other prominent New Zealand sports figures, trailing only behind UFC champion Israel Adesanya, who boasts 8.2 million followers. He has now outpaced cricketer Kane Williamson, who has 3.3 million, and the All Blacks rugby team at 2.8 million.

On the field, however, the New Zealand national team faced challenges, suffering a disappointing 4-0 loss to Haiti during a World Cup warm-up match on Wednesday. They are set to face England on Sunday in their final friendly before the World Cup, where they will compete against Iran, Egypt, and Belgium in their group.