The Tim Payne Instagram rise is official this week’s most strange and endearing football tale. New Zealand and Wellington Phoenix defender Tim Payne has finally met up with Argentine social media influencer, the man behind Payne’s sudden internet fame, Valen Scarsini.
All began with Scarsini, who, as millions know, is “El Scarso,” and stumbled upon Payne’s profile. He jokingly called the Kiwi defender the ‘least known’ World Cup player. In a brilliant display of internet culture, Scarsini challenged his massively large fanbase into ‘flooding Payne’s account with love’. The situation that followed is utterly counterintuitive to the algorithms of today. Payne’s followers grew from 4,000 to 4.9 million in just a few days.
The two online icons finally got to meet in person and toast the viral achievement. For some, it may be a passing fad, but it really captures an interesting change in the culture of football today. Fans are traditionally acquired by players by spending millions of dollars on a transfer or on-field goal.Historically, fans have been acquired through a player’s transfer saga or spectacular goals on the pitch. But simply being a good sport about a wholesome joke made Payne a worldwide superstar.
The lines between football and digital creators are no longer existent with this viral crossover. It’s no secret that a passionate fan-base can make anyone an overnight global icon, and the A-League can do it without even kicking a ball.
Payne has been totally gracious to his new reality. This unplanned publicity for Wellington Phoenix and New Zealand football is gold. It takes millions of new eyes to a brilliant player who deserves the light just so much.
