Meet The World Cup Player Who Went From Least Known To Most Interesting Overnight

When an Argentinian commentator called New Zealand defender Tim Payne the "least known player" in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, millions of soccer fans acted as if it were a personal insult and acted on Payne's behalf.

Payne has seen his Instagram following grow from less than 5,000 to more than 5 million since social media personality "El Scarso" called him the tournament's least-known player in late May. The two have made amends in the time since then, though, with Payne meeting El Scarso earlier in June. Payne even gifted El Scarso a kit, and thanked him for the attention he's received in a social media post. 

"The past week has been a crazy ride, but thanks to @elscarso for everything he has done for myself, my family and NZ football," Payne wrote. "Great meeting you in person today mate."

So, as Payne has quickly become one of the most followed players at the World Cup, here's what you should know about the New Zealand defender. 

El Scarso's comment about Payne actually might have come from a good place. Ahead of the World Cup, El Scarso said he wanted to find a player that would "unite us all." In order to find that player, El Scarso said he scoured the social media accounts of every player set to play in the World Cup and tried to find which one had the fewest number of followers. 

"After analyzing them one by one, I found him. In Group G, in New Zealand, there is Tim Payne," El Scarso said. "He really is the least known. He doesn't even have 5,000 followers!"

A couple of days after El Scarso's initial comment, Payne thanked the influencer in an Instagram post. 

"It's been a crazy 48 hours, to say the least," Payne said. "I just wanted to also express that I'm very grateful."

Payne made his first cap for New Zealand's