June 4, 2026
New Zealand footballer Tim Payne met the influencer behind his stunning viral fame on Wednesday, presenting him with a team shirt after gaining almost five million Instagram followers in a week.
Argentine social media giant Valen Scarsini, known as “El Scarso”, last week asked his fans to boost unheralded Payne’s following, calling him the “least known” player at the World Cup.
It kicked off an online explosion of interest with Payne going from 4,000 followers to 4.9 million in a few days.
The two met for the first time at New Zealand’s training camp in Florida, with Payne thanking Scarsini for his support.
