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Tim Payne meets influencer behind Instagram success as World Cup approaches

Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Jun 3, 2026, 11:52 PM

Last updated Jun 3, 2026

Tim Payne meets influencer behind Instagram success as World Cup approaches

Summary

On June 3, New Zealand footballer Tim Payne met Argentinian influencer Valen Scarsini, known as "El Scarso," at New Zealand's training camp in Florida. This meeting followed Payne's surge in Instagram followers, rising from 4,000 to nearly 4.9 million in a week after Scarsini called for support. Despite this online success, New Zealand's men's team recently suffered a 4-0 defeat to Haiti in a World Cup warm-up match. They will face England in their final friendly before the World Cup begins.

Source Links

Yahoo Sports

By the Numbers

•Tim Payne's Instagram followers reached nearly 4.9 million.
•He surpassed Kane Williamson and the All Blacks in follower count.
•New Zealand lost 4-0 to Haiti in a recent match.
•The team plays England next before the World Cup.
•New Zealand's World Cup group includes Iran, Egypt, and Belgium.

Latest Updates

11:52 PMYahoo Sports — NZ football star meets influencer behind viral fame

What they're saying

"
New Zealand footballer Tim Payne became his country's second most popular sporting account on Instagram on Thursday as he gifted the influencer who boosted his popularity with a playing shirt.Payne's Instagram account now has more followers than any other New Zealand sporting account, other than UFC star Israel Adesanya's 8.2 million following.
— Yahoo Sports

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