The shirt Tim Payne wore in his Club Olimpia debut has sparked a bidding war, with the leading offer climbing above 21 million guarani (about $3,270). The jersey, put up for auction by the Paraguayan club, is now a coveted piece of match-worn memorabilia. \n\nPayne, a 32-year-old New Zealand defender, entered the World Cup with just over 4,000 Instagram followers. Argentine soccer influencer Valen Scarsini (El Scarso) called him the tournament's "least-known player" and helped boost his following from 4,715 to 5.4 million — more than New Zealand's population. \n\nThat online fame carried Payne to Paraguay, where he signed with Olimpia.

In his Aug. 2 debut, he scored minutes after coming off the bench, helping Olimpia win 5-0. Now his signed jersey from that match is drawing interest usually reserved for established stars, though the top bid remains far from the millions paid for jerseys of legends like Messi.