New Zealand defender Tim Payne is managing his rapid rise in social media popularity calmly while preparing for the FIFA World Cup. The attention has brought unexpected focus to the tournament’s lowest-ranked team.
Within days, Payne’s Instagram followers grew from around 4,700 to 4.2 million after an Argentine influencer highlighted him as the least-known player at the event and encouraged likes and follows.
Coach Darren Bazeley said he does not fully grasp viral social media trends but noted that Payne is handling the situation effectively.
“I’m not very social media-savvy. From my understanding it’s obviously a big deal, the numbers they’re talking about is huge,” Bazeley told reporters in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
“I think Tim’s dealing with it really well. He’s probably the type of person who doesn’t get over-excited with too much. He knows why he’s here and what he wants to get from this tournament. But I don’t really understand the mechanics behind numbers and what that means. I’m sure the boys are giving him a bit of stick along the way. I think he’s got a song and stuff like that,” he added.
Influencer Valen Scarsini sparked the surge last week by urging followers to support the Wellington Phoenix player. Payne’s audience now exceeds that of many prominent New Zealand athletes.
Payne posted a video thanking Scarsini in Spanish, calling the experience a “pretty crazy 48 hours.” Scarsini plans to attend New Zealand’s warmup match against Haiti in Florida and meet Payne afterward.
“Sometimes you think you won’t see anything that’s different. It’s a game of football, 11 v 11, same pitch, same ball,” Bazeley said. “But we’ve come here and something different has happened with this.”
Midfielder Marko Stamenic said he was pleased for Payne and believed the attention would not affect his focus. “It honestly just shows the power of social media. He’s fully focused on what task we have here,” Stamenic said.
