Tim Payne to join Paraguay club Olimpia from Wellington Phoenix

New Zealand defender Tim Payne, who achieved viral fame after being singled out by a soccer influencer ahead of the World Cup, has confirmed he will play for Club Olimpia in Paraguay.

New Zealand's World Cup social media sensation Tim Payne has capitalised on his newfound fame, with the defender announcing on Friday that he has signed for Paraguayan powerhouse Club Olimpia.Payne started New Zealand's first match of the World Cup, a 2-2 draw with Iran in Los Angeles.

New Zealand defender Tim Payne, who achieved viral fame after being singled out by a soccer influencer ahead of the World Cup, has confirmed he will play for Club Olimpia in Paraguay. Payne's following on Instagram rocketed from 4,700 to 5.8 million after the influencer El Scarso , whose real name is Valen Scarsini, identified him as the World Cup player with the smallest social media following. Sudden fame meant that clubs in Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay and Mexico showed interest in signing Payne.

An Argentine influencer looked to make the "least-known World Cup player" famous. Now, that player will play his club soccer next door in Paraguay.

Tim Payne, the little-known New Zealand defender who became a social media celebrity, will leave his home country to play for Paraguay's reigning champion Olimpia, a team with a long tradition in South American soccer. Payne's popularity soared after a campaign orchestrated by the Argentine influencer El Scarso, who identified Payne as the least-known player at the World Cup based on his small social media following and asked his followers to unite to make him famous. Tim Payne, from cradle to grave.