Home / Sport / Football / Football World CupUpdatedMichael BurgessSenior Sports Journalist·nzme·6 Jun, 2026 12:01 AM6 mins to read‌Tim Payne has been one of the stories of the pre-World Cup coverage so far. Video / NZ HeraldAdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.

Unheralded All Whites defender Tim Payne has been one of the biggest football stories of the past week, as his global fame has rocketed thanks to a viral social media campaign, first kicked off by Argentinean influencer Valen Scarsini. The 32-year-old now has more than five million Instagram followers –

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