This World Cup Player Just Gained 4 Million Followers For A Wild Reason

The 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off in June — and HuffPost will be live-blogging every twist, turn and controversy from the buildup through the final of what’s widely shaping up to be the most political soccer tournament of all time.From the action on the pitch to the potential chaos off it, the storylines are already piling up: Iran’s possible non-participation amid Donald Trump’s war, the president’s close relationship with FIFA’s Peace Prize-awarding President Gianni Infantino, and simmering tensions between the U.S. and fellow host nations Mexico and Canada fueled by Trump’s tariffs and divisive rhetoric.Trump’s travel bans could keep some fans out, there’s been fury over soaring ticket prices, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents could be present at games as the Trump administration continues its anti-immigration crackdown.Not to mention extreme heat concerns that scorched all those involved the last time the U.S. hosted the tournament some 32 years ago, in 1994.And that’s all before a ball has been kicked.U.S. President Donald Trump received the FIFA Peace Prize from FIFA President Gianni Infantino in December.Andrew Harnik via Getty ImagesOn the field, the men’s national teams from 48 countries will compete in a record 104 matches across the three host nations in what will be the biggest World Cup in history.Mexico will take on South Africa at the iconic Mexico City Stadium in the opening game on June 11. The U.S. will play Paraguay in Los Angeles on June 12, Australia in Seattle on June 19 and Turkey back in Los Angeles on June 25, in the group games, before potentially competing in the later knockout rounds.The final will be held on July 19 at MetLife Stadium, which is being temporarily rebranded as the New York/New Jersey Stadium for the competition.Current European champions Spain are favorites to lift the trophy. Defending champions Argentina, of Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi fame, along with France, England and Brazil, are also expected to be in the mix.Check out the full games schedule on the FIFA website.Follow along with our coverage below:This World Cup Player Just Gained 4 Million Followers For A Wild ReasonNew Zealand defender Tim Payne is taking his sudden social media fame in his stride as he prepares for the World Cup, bringing unexpected attention to the tournament's lowest-ranked nation.In less than a week, Payne's Instagram account has exploded from 4,715 followers to 4.2 million after an Argentine influencer decided he was the least-known player at the World Cup and urged his audience to give him likes, comments and follows.New Zealand coach Darren Bazeley admitted he did not really understand the mechanics of viral social media but said Payne was handling it all well."I'm not very social media-savvy. From my understanding it's obviously a big deal, the numbers they're talking about is huge," Bazeley told reporters in Fort Lauderdale, Florida."I think Tim's dealing with it really well."He's probably the type of person who doesn't get over-excited with too much. He knows why he's here and what he wants to get from this tournament, from this tour."But I don't really understand the mechanics behind numbers and what that means."I'm sure the boys are giving him a bit of stick along the way. I think he's got a song and stuff like that."Influencer Valen Scarsini, known as "elscarso" on Instagram and TikTok, lit the fuse last week when he made a video encouraging his followers to show their support for the Wellington Phoenix defender.Payne's Instagram audience has since outstripped most New Zealand athletes and public figures, including cricketer Kane Williamson (3.3 million followers) and the All Blacks rugby team (2.8m).Payne posted a video last Friday thanking Scarsini in Spanish and saying it had been a "pretty crazy 48 hours".His feed is peppered with good will messages in multiple languages."Our GOAT. No Payne, no gain," wrote one follower.Scarsini posted on his own Instagram feed that he was set to fly to Florida to watch the All Whites' World Cup warmup friendly against Haiti and would meet Payne after the game later on Tuesday."Sometimes you think you won't see anything that's different. It's a game of football, 11 v 11, same pitch, same ball," said Bazeley."But we've come here and something different has happened with this."New Zealand midfielder Marko Stamenic told reporters he was really happy for Payne and was sure it would not go to his head."It honestly just shows the power of social media," he said."He's fully focused on what task we have here."Latest Live UpdatesWorld Cup Star Suddenly Unable To Enter U.S. After Travel Authorization ReviewSwitzerland forward Breel Embolo will not travel with the World Cup squad to the U.S. on Tuesday after his ESTA authorisation was placed under review, the Swiss federation said.Read more here:Canada Warehouse Raid Exposes A Massive World Cup ScamLess than two weeks before the World Cup kicks off, Toronto Police announced on Monday that they made the largest known seizure of counterfeit soccer jerseys in Canadian history.Officers seized over C$3.5 million ($2.53 million) worth of counterfeit merchandise from a Mississauga warehouse, they said, including more than 16,000 fraudulent jerseys and flags bearing fake FIFA, Nike, Adidas and Puma branding, as well as two counterfeit World Cup trophies.Two men have been arrested and charged, the police said.Toronto is expecting more than 300,000 visitors during the World Cup with six matches to be played in the city, including Canada's opener against Bosnia and Herzegovina on June 12.A complaint to the Toronto Police Service FIFA Planning Team Investigative Unit in May alleged that the accused were supplying products to retail stores and acting as a distributor of fraudulent merchandise.The items have an estimated street value of C$3,564,000, police said.Los Angeles Sheriff Shares Big Update Over ICE World Cup FearsFederal officials have told Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna that civil immigration enforcement will not take place at FIFA World Cup games or events in Los Angeles, Luna said on Monday, as authorities outlined security plans for eight matches beginning on June 12.Read more here:U.S. Faces Defining World Cup On Home SoilLOS ANGELES, June 1 (Reuters) - The United States head into the World Cup facing perhaps higher stakes than any other team, with a deep run likely to accelerate the sport's growth in the country and an early exit from a favourable group threatening to stall years of progress.Put simply, it may be the most important World Cup in U.S. soccer history.As co-hosts, the Americans were spared the grind of qualifying, leaving questions over the readiness of Mauricio Pochettino's squad heading into the tournament. What is not in doubt is the pressure on the Stars and Stripes.Reaching the knockout rounds is the minimum expectation for a team that advanced to the last 16 in Qatar in 2022, four years after the humiliation of failing to qualify for the 2018 tournament in Russia.The U.S. are the highest-ranked side in Group D, which includes Turkey, Australia and Paraguay. Winning the group is a realistic target and would provide a more favourable route through the knockout rounds.Potential opponents in the last 32, should the U.S. top the group, would be a third-place team from groups B, E, F, I or J - and could be Canada - a path that would give the U.S. a chance of reaching the quarter-finals for the first time since 2002.INTERNATIONAL CREDIBILITYU.S. soccer has spent decades trying to earn lasting credibility on the international stage in a country where most of the best male athletes are drawn to American football, basketball or baseball - sports that offer greater visibility, richer professional pathways and deeper cultural roots.That has often left the men's national soccer team fighting for relevance at home as much as respect abroad.A deep run at a home World Cup, however, could reshape perceptions. Even a place in the latter stages would energise a new generation of fans, strengthen the team's standing and provide a major lift to Major League Soccer, which continues to seek a larger place in the North American sporting landscape.Christian Pulisic, the U.S. team's most recognisable player, believes the current squad is the strongest the country has produced and expects home support to provide a major lift."The energy in the stadiums is going to be great," Pulisic told Reuters. "We want to take that motivation and push to make the American people proud."The U.S. open their campaign on June 12 against Paraguay in Los Angeles.(Reporting by Rory Carroll in Los Angeles; Editing by Ken Ferris)States Looking To Extend Bar, Restaurant Hours During The World CupPROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — World Cup fans in a growing number of U.S. cities won't have an issue finding a well-poured pint to go with their late-night match.State leaders across the U.S. are signing off on extending bar and restaurant hours during the world’s most-watched sporting event. They want to help businesses and improve fan experiences, particularly for those who may have been priced out of tickets. Others see the move as a last-ditch effort to boost sales as expectations for a World Cup economic boon have dampened.So far, Kansas, Missouri, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Washington — states either hosting World Cup matches or adjacent to the activity — have all approved various measures to extend hours for alcohol sales during the tournament. Similar proposals are being considered in New York and Massachusetts.The changes mean that closing time won’t come until 4 a.m. in Philadelphia during the World Cup and America 250 celebrations. In Kansas City, some bars can stay open as late as 5 a.m.Many of these changes are dependent on municipality approval, and no business would be required to extend business hours. But for the hospitality industry, already struggling under waning sales and inflation, the option to stay open later is welcomed.Mark Prinzinger, owner of Lion Sports Bar in Philadelphia, described watching soccer with fans from all over the world as a “magical experience." Now that he has the option to keep his bar open two hours longer, he’s hired extra staff, streamlined the menus and planned late-night programming.“People want to have a beer with other soccer fans and the great thing about the World Cup is that it brings people together from all over the world into one place to watch a sport that everybody loves,” he said.Fans want an experience to rememberPrinzinger and other bar, restaurant and nightlife venues in Pennsylvania will be allowed to move their closing times from 2 a.m. until 4 a.m. during the World Cup and the America 250 anniversary celebrations, between June 11 and July 20. Gov. Josh Shapiro approved the legislation by releasing a video showing him cracking open a beer, signing off the social media post with a cheeky warning to the City of Brotherly Love's reputation for getting rowdy: “Celebrate responsibly, Philly.”With more hours available to drink, some critics have raised concerns about public safety and potential strain on law enforcement even as the effort has received bipartisan support from lawmakers.In Kansas City, Missouri, Mayor Quinton Lucas initially stated that his city “doesn't need bars operating 23 hours” during the World Cup and joked, “Worry not, if you want to drink a ton, bars can open quite early.”Yet bar owners bristle under such opposition, saying that most businesses prioritize training staff to prevent patrons from being overserved.“Just because people are hanging out at the bar watching a soccer game doesn’t mean they’re getting blitzed,” Prinzinger said. “In fact, I would say it’s completely the opposite. I think people want to watch the game. People want to be engaged.”Rhode Island Rep. Teresa Tanzi agreed.“Not everybody that’s going to walk into a place is going to be chugging drinks and getting loaded,” Tanzi, a Democrat, said earlier this month on the House floor. “There are going to be families who are going to want a cheeseburger, an American cheeseburger, and a Coca-Cola."Rhode Island, which is closer than Boston is to World Cup matches host Gillette Stadium, is weighing whether to extend alcohol sales to 3 a.m. and closing times to 4 a.m. Currently, last call in the smallest U.S. state is 1 a.m., with some exceptions for its capital city of Providence.Even Lucas relented, eventually submitting a plan allowing Kansas City restaurants and bars to remain open until 3 a.m., and certain establishments to remain open until 5 a.m. if they submit a security plan to the police department. Currently, alcohol sales can generally be made between 6 a.m. through 1:30 a.m.The extended hours aren't entirely a U.S. trend. Pubs in England and Wales will be able to stay open as late as 2 a.m. if the English or Scottish teams are playing in the knockout stages after the U.K. government relaxed its licensing rules.In Scotland, which has its own semiautonomous government, local authorities can allow pubs to stay open until 30 minutes after matches end.Late-night demand remains to be seenAccording to the World Cup schedule, a majority of games will be held from early afternoon through early evening. But a handful start later, with four games starting at midnight and eight games starting at 10 p.m. for those watching in the Eastern time zone.Just how big of a demand there will be for late-night bites and drinks is somewhat unknown. In the U.S., consumer habits have shifted drastically ever since the COVID-19 pandemic, with more people choosing to go out earlier in the day and spending less overall, said David Henkes, senior principal at Technomic, a firm that monitors restaurant and food industry trends.“It’s so hard to stay open late night or overnight just because it’s hard to find labor,” Henkes said. “I applaud the effort to give restaurants an opportunity to earn more revenue, but I’m not sure that there’s going to be significant enough demand for it to make sense for a lot of operators to do so.”___Associated Press writer Brian Melley contributed from London.___AP World Cup: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cupFIFA Putting An Emphasis On Match Tempo, Keeping Matches Moving At World CupFIFA's on-field officials for the World Cup will insist on keeping matches moving by taking rule changes designed to limit time-wasting seriously, the sport's governing body said Sunday with the start of the 48-team tournament now less than two weeks away.Also among the points of emphasis for referees and officials: a commitment to issuing red cards to any player who covers his mouth while talking to an opponent in a “confrontational situation," FIFA said.“We are continuing on trying to achieve an objective, which is to eliminate from matches — as much as possible — the disruption of the tempo of the match," said Pierluigi Collina, FIFA chief refereeing officer and chair of the referees committee.Other issues that referees will be mindful of during the tournament:— If a player leaves the field of play after being angered by an official's decision, a red card can be issued.— To speed up play, referees can institute a five-second visual countdown on goal kicks and throw-ins. If the goal kick is not taken before the end of that countdown, a corner kick will be awarded to the opposing team. If the throw-in is not executed by the end of the five-second count, a throw-in for the opponents will be the reward. It's along the same lines of the so-called eight-second goalkeeper rule that has been in place for some time to release the ball after making a save.— Players getting subbed off must leave the field within 10 seconds, except for special situations such as ones involving injuries or a security issue.— The protocol for Video Assistant Referee, or VAR, is being clarified in certain areas. VAR can be used to check when red cards are issued following a clearly incorrect second yellow card, or when cards are issued in the case of mistaken identity. Incorrectly awarded corner kicks can also be checked by VAR, FIFA said.Players covering their mouth with a hand, arm or shirt will be given red cards if referees deem it not to be a friendly conversation, FIFA said. Conversations that are not confrontational but still have players shielding their mouths from public view will continue to be permitted without penalty.“Confrontational ... a completely different story,” Collina said.There has also been a clarification on VAR protocol “regarding clear offenses committed by the attacking team before the ball is in play at a corner kick or free kick” that directly impacts goals, penalty kicks or sanctions.VAR can be used in those moments and “if the referee determines that an offense occurred before the ball was in play, the appropriate disciplinary action will be taken.”But all the emphasis on speedy play won't necessarily mean quicker matches. There will be three-minute water breaks midway through each half of every match, FIFA said.___AP World Cup: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cupIran Finalizes World Cup Squad With 17 Home-Based PlayersANTALYA, Turkey (AP) — Iran finalized a 26-man World Cup squad on Monday to play in the United States including 17 home-based players whose clubs have not played since February due to the Middle East regional war.Star forward Mehdi Taremi, who plays in Greece for Olympiakos, was among nine overseas players but they did not include his strike partner at the 2022 World Cup, Sardar Azmoun.Azmoun was dropped from coach Amir Ghalenoei’s squad in March, reportedly because of a social media post that angered Iranian authorities during the ongoing war with the United States and Israel. His teammate at Dubai club Shabab Al-Ahli, Saeid Ezatolahi, was picked.Iran features five players with clubs in the United Arab Emirates, two in Belgium, Taremi in Greece and one in Russia. Belgium-based Dennis Dargahi on the official squad list is known as Dennis Eckert Ayensa at his club Standard Liege.Iran is preparing for the World Cup at a training camp in Antalya, Turkey, before a scheduled departure on Friday to its tournament base in Tijuana, Mexico.Citing complexities with visa issues to enter the U.S., Iran got FIFA approval 10 days ago to move from a planned training base in Tucson, Arizona.Iran plays two games in World Cup Group G in Inglewood, California — against New Zealand on June 15 and Belgium six days later — then goes to Seattle to face Egypt on June 26.Iran and the U.S. could meet in the round of 32 on July 3 at the Dallas Cowboys’ stadium in Arlington, Texas, if both place second in their groups.___Iran:Goalkeepers: Alireza Beiranvand (Tractor), Hossein Hosseini (Sepahan), Payam Niazmand (Persepolis)Defenders: Danial Eiri (Malavan), Ehsan Hajsafi (Sepahan), Saleh Hardani (Esteghlal), Hossein Kanaani (Persepolis), Shoja Khalilzadeh (Tractor), Milad Mohammadi (Persepolis), Ali Nemati (Foolad), Ramin Rezaeian (Foolad)Midfielders: Rouzbeh Cheshmi (Esteghlal), Saeid Ezatolahi (Shabab Al-Ahli), Mehdi Ghayedi (Al-Nasr), Saman Ghoddos (Kalba), Mohammad Ghorbani (Al-Wahda), Alireza Jahanbakhsh (Dender), Mohammad Mohebi (Rostov), Amir Mohammad Razzaghinia (Esteghlal), Mehdi Torabi (Tractor), Aria Yousefi (Sepahan)Forwards: Ali Alipour (Persepolis), Dennis Dargahi (Standard Liege), Amirhossein Hosseinzadeh (Tractor), Mehdi Taremi (Olympiakos), Shahriar Moghanlou (Kalba)___AP World Cup: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cupThe U.S. Just Got A Huge Lift Ahead Of The World CupThe first of two friendlies for the U.S. men's national team before opening the 2026 FIFA World Cup on June 12 vs. Paraguay wasn't meant to be a definitive statement on the Americans' chances to advance to the knockout round.But the 3-2 win against Senegal in Charlotte, N.C., on Sunday provided a huge relief, with a glimpse of what can be.Many believe that as star forward Christian Pulisic goes, so goes the U.S., and his prolonged scoring slump rightly drew attention. Pulisic answered with a goal and an assist to help the U.S. to a 2-0 lead in the first 20 minutes.He assisted on a goal by Sergino Dest in the seventh minute before taking a ball in the middle of the box from Ricardo Pepi for his first goal since Dec. 28 for AC Milan and his first U.S. score since November 2024.After Sadio Mane's brace tied it, Folarin Balogun made it 3-2 in the 63rd minute.All was going well for the U.S. until Mane, Senegal's all-time leading scorer, had goals in the 44th and 52nd minutes.U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino made 10 changes at halftime, including goalkeeper Chris Brady coming on for Matt Turner and making his international debut, and Brady was involved in a gaffe that led to the tying goal. Miles Robinson made an egregious turnover with the ball popping up at the top of the box.Brady was too late to the ball. It got by him and Mane was at the goal line for the tap-in. The score came three minutes after Balogun thought he had made it 3-1 but was offside.Less than 10 minutes later, Balogun was called for a foul at the 6-yard box which nullified a Weston McKennie goal, but Balogun would not be denied on the go-ahead marker when he converted a cross by Tim Weah.It was not the first clinical U.S. build-up. The Americans' first goal came off the 20th pass when Pulisic, after a setup by Pepi on the left flank, spotted Dest flying through the box from his right back spot.Now, it's on to Chicago where the U.S. will play Germany on Saturday.This U.S. World Cup Player Had The Loveliest Excuse For Missing PracticeAmerican midfielder Brenden Aaronson had a good excuse to miss the U.S. World Cup team's training session Friday — he was getting married.The Leeds midfielder was marrying longtime girlfriend Milana D’Ambra, a daughter of Saint Joseph’s men’s soccer coach Don D’Ambra.Aaronson, also a member of the 2022 U.S. World Cup squad, left camp after Thursday’s session and was due back in time for training Saturday.Unable to attend the wedding himself, fellow midfielder Gio Reyna was being represented by wife Chloe.“We don’t know if it’s a no-phones wedding. We’re trying to get clarity on that," said Cristian Roldan, another U.S. midfielder. “Gio's wife will be FaceTiming in and we’ll all be able to watch kind of like a live stream if it is a phone wedding.”Aaronson, 25, is part of a well-known U.S. soccer family from Medford, New Jersey. His brother Paxten is with Major League Soccer's Colorado Rapids and sister Jaden played for Villanova as a freshman last fall. Their father, Rusty, is sporting director of Real Futbol Academy in Medford.American goalkeeper Chris Brady said Aaronson was likely playing golf Friday afternoon ahead of the ceremony.“Good luck. Don't (mess) it up,” Brady said teammates told Aaronson before he left camp. “Say I do.”Timing for the wedding was tricky.Players at the World Cup are supposed to get 21 days off before reporting to Premier League clubs ahead of season openers from Aug. 21-23. The U.S. finale could be as early as June 25 if the Americans are eliminated in the group stage or as late as July 19 in the unlikely event they reach the final for the first time.The U.S. team allowed star Christian Pulisic to skip training to attend his Hershey High School prom on May 27, 2016, at the Hershey Hotel in Pennsylvania, then return for the following day’s Copa America match against Bolivia in Kansas City, Kansas.This Country Is Letting Employees Start Work Later For The World CupJordan said on Sunday it will allow a late start to work for public sector employees on World Cup matchdays to let fans enjoy the national team's debut appearance at the tournament.A decree from Prime Minister Jafar Hassan said official working hours would begin at 10 a.m. instead of 8:30 a.m. for its Group J games against Austria, Algeria and Argentina which are being played in the U.S. on June 17, 23 and 28."The decision aims to enable citizens to follow and rally behind our national football team during its historic participation in this tournament," said a government statement.Jordan, popularly known as Al-Nashama (The Chivalrous Ones), qualified for the World Cup after finishing second behind South Korea in their Asian qualifying group, an unprecedented achievement that sparked nationwide celebration.See All Updates