New Zealand defender Tim Payne is handling his sudden social media fame with composure as the lowest-ranked team prepares for the World Cup. In less than a week, Payne's Instagram account surged from 4,715 followers to 4.2 million after Argentine influencer Valen Scarsini urged his audience to support the relatively unknown player.
New Zealand coach Darren Bazeley admitted he doesn't understand the mechanics of viral social media but praised Payne's response.
"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," Bazeley said.
Payne's follower count now exceeds that of top New Zealand athletes like cricketer Kane Williamson (3.3 million) and the All Blacks rugby team (2.8 million). Payne posted a video thanking Scarsini in Spanish, calling it "a pretty crazy 48 hours."
Scarsini plans to fly to Florida for New Zealand's World Cup warmup against Haiti and meet Payne after the game.
Teammate Marko Stamenic said Payne remains fully focused on the team's task, adding, "It honestly just shows the power of social media."