A couple months ago, no one knew Tim Payne. Now, everyone knows Tim Payne. The New Zealand footballer gained an absurd, exponential increase in social media following leading into the 2026 FIFA World ...

The 32-year-old New Zealand defender is the viral star of the tournament thanks to a content creator. He has just signed with Olimpia Club in Paraguay and provided an assist against Egypt. On May 26, ...

Not long ago, Tim Payne was called the "least known" player in the World Cup. Now, he has 5.7 million followers. Here's how that happened.

New Zealand's Tim Payne has gained millions of Instagram followers following a viral social media campaign by an Argentine ...

The services of a Wellington Phoenix and New Zealand international viral sensation are in demand.

New Zealand soccer player Tim Payne jumped from 4,715 followers to 753,000 followers on Instagram within days Gabrielle Rockson is a Writer-Reporter for PEOPLE. She joined PEOPLE in 2023 and covers ...

“I literally don’t play soccer,” the rapper replied after the brand said he "gave everything out there" during a World Cup game ...

T-Pain had a hilarious reaction after DoorDash seemingly mistook him for World Cup player Tim Payne: “I literally don't play soccer.” ...

The craze began when Argentine influencer "Elscarso" set out to identify the player with the fewest Instagram followers in the entire World Cup. Payne, who plays for Wellington Phoenix in his home ...

Tim Payne becoming a World Cup cult hero before kicking a ball is exactly the kind of internet story soccer keeps producing ...

A New Zealand soccer player became one of the World Cup’s most unexpected viral stories after an Argentine influencer urged fans to follow him.