Overview
- An Argentine creator known as Valen Scarsini (elscarso) identified Payne as the tournament’s “least known” player and urged followers to like, comment on and follow his accounts, triggering a rapid surge in attention.
- Reports show Payne’s Instagram rose from roughly 4–5 thousand followers to totals described by outlets as being in the low millions within 48–72 hours, with different publications citing figures from about 660,000 to more than 2 million.
- Payne recorded a thank-you video that included Spanish phrases and said he appreciated the support while continuing to train with New Zealand’s squad; there have been no changes to his selection or on-field role.
- Fans created memes, songs and tribute posts and major brands and official accounts — including FIFA/World Cup pages, KitKat, Samsung, Pizza Hut and NFL Mexico — began interacting with his content.
- The episode highlights how influencer campaigns can reframe pre-tournament narratives and may draw commercial interest and extra scrutiny of players’ histories, given coverage recalled Payne’s 2020 quarantine/golf-cart incident and the wider spotlight on underdog teams.