Tim Payne was far from the best player at the 2026 World Cup, and New Zealand bowed out after a winless group stage, but his surging popularity found him a new club, as he signed with Paraguayan side Club Olimpia and dazzled in his debut on Sunday.
The 32-year-old now boasts a whopping 5.4 million Instagram followers after an Argentine soccer influencer, Valen Scarsini, made a video ahead of the World Cup, suggesting Payne might be the least-known player at the tournament.