Tim Payne: from Covid scandal to viral star before World Cup 2026 | OneFootball

It all began when Argentine influencer Valen Scarsini, known as “El Scarso,” launched a campaign to find the least-known player at the World Cup. Payne, who had around 4,000 followers on Instagram, was chosen, and thousands of users quickly began following him.

In just a few weeks, the full-back surpassed four million followers and joined the trend with posts in Spanish, where he thanked people for their support and said he had started studying the language.

The story contrasts with one of the toughest moments of his career. In 2020, he was arrested for driving a golf cart while intoxicated during the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, an incident for which he had to publicly apologize.

Six years later, Payne will arrive at the World Cup with New Zealand, having become one of the most talked-about names on social media in the lead-up to the tournament.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.