New Zealand defender Tim Payne never expected to become a social media sensation ahead of the World Cup. The 32-year-old, who signed for Blackburn Rovers in 2012, scored once and provided four assists during qualifying, earning his spot in Darren Bazeley's 26-man squad for the All Whites' third finals appearance.

Argentine influencer Scarsini launched a campaign to promote football's 'least-known' World Cup player, urging followers to tag Payne and create content about him. One Instagram post celebrating his 50th cap now exceeds 50,000 comments, while his follower count surged by half a million overnight.

Payne messaged Scarsini expressing surprise at his sudden online attention, writing 'Was wondering why my socials were blowing up.' New Zealand enters Group G as the lowest-ranked side, still seeking their first World Cup victory against Iran, Egypt, and Belgium.

Scarsini previously boosted FC Balzers' Instagram following past Swiss champions FC Basel through similar activism. The campaign demonstrates how social media can amplify underdog stories in international football.