{"id":476910,"date":"2026-06-05T02:36:10","date_gmt":"2026-06-05T02:36:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/476910\/"},"modified":"2026-06-05T02:36:10","modified_gmt":"2026-06-05T02:36:10","slug":"viral-new-zealand-soccer-star-meets-argentine-social-media-influencer-who-boosted-following-to-5m","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/476910\/","title":{"rendered":"Viral New Zealand soccer star meets Argentine social media influencer who boosted following to 5M"},"content":{"rendered":"

Tim Payne<\/a> couldn’t wait to give Valen Scarsini a big hug<\/a> and tell him thanks a million.<\/p>\n

Nearly 5 million, actually. New social media followers, that is.<\/p>\n

The New Zealand<\/a> defender met the influencer and content creator from Argentina<\/a> on Wednesday after Scarsini \u2014 known as \u201cEl Scarso\u201d \u2014 asked his fans last week<\/a> to help kick up support for the soccer standout while calling him the \u201cleast-known\u201d player at the World Cup in the United States, Canada<\/a> and Mexico<\/a> based on his small social media following.<\/p>\n

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Well, since that request, the 32-year-old Payne went from just under 5,000 followers on Instagram to more than 5 million, making him a viral sensation.<\/p>\n

Scarsini watched Payne’s New Zealand squad<\/a> \u2014 known as the All Whites \u2014 lose 4-0 to Haiti<\/a> in a friendly in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on Tuesday night. The next morning, the social media influencer met Payne at the team hotel in Boca Raton.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy friend!\u201d Scarsini shouted as he walked through a door and saw Payne. \u201cHow are you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI’m good, bro, yourself?\u201d asked a smiling Payne as he gave him a big hug. \u201cLovely to meet you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Payne also said, \u201cC\u00f3mo<\/a> est\u00e1s?\u201d \u2014 Spanish for \u201cHow are you?\u201d \u2014 and then jokingly told Scarsini that’s basically the extent of his Spanish vocabulary.<\/p>\n

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Payne thanked Scarsini \u201cfor everything\u201d and described the entire experience as \u201cvery crazy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn’t know what to feel, you know, because it’s so foreign to me,” Payne said. “Still processing, but it’s amazing. And I appreciate you doing it for me, you know?\u201d<\/p>\n

Scarsini asked Payne what it’s like to have this huge boost in fame happen just before the World Cup begins.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s obviously good for myself and New Zealand football, too,” Payne said. “It puts a light on us, which is a positive thing, but at the same time, for me, I don\u2019t change. I\u2019m still the person I am. I just keep trying to do what I do, which is play football and trying to perform for my country.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Scarsini said Payne should visit him in Argentina someday, and he would also one day go to New Zealand. Payne then gave him an All Whites jersey with his No. 2 on it and signed it before the two posed for photos and hugged again.<\/p>\n

New Zealand opens its Group G play at the World Cup against Iran<\/a> on June 15 in Inglewood, California. Belgium<\/a> and Egypt<\/a> are also in the group. New Zealand, playing at the World Cup for the third time after qualifying in 1982 and 2010, has yet to win a match.<\/p>\n

\u2014-<\/p>\n

AP Sports Writer Steve McMorran in Wellington, New Zealand, contributed to this report.<\/p>\n

\u2014-<\/p>\n

AP World Cup: https:\/\/apnews.com\/hub\/fifa-world-cup<\/a><\/p>\n