World Cup viral sensation Tim Payne set for shock transfer to South America

News

Tom Weber | Writer

Multilingual sports writer who specialises in European football and American soccer.

New Zealand defender Tim Payne is set to complete a shock transfer to Club Olimpia in Paraguay.

The 32-year-old went from unknown to internet sensation overnight shortly before the World Cup kicked off after receiving a shout-out from influencer El Scarso (Valen Scarsini).

The Argentine had scoured social media for the "least famous" World Cup player and came across Payne's Instagram account, which only had around 4,000 followers at the time.

El Scarso instructed his fans to support the Wellington Phoenix right-back, which resulted in Payne's follower count exploding. Within 24 hours, the New Zealand star had cracked the one million mark and even had a song made in his honour.

Payne's Instagram follower count now stands at 5.8 million. That's more than the population of New Zealand, which is estimated at around 5.3m. On Monday, he made his World Cup debut in the All Whites' thrilling 2-2 draw with Iran in Los Angeles.

Payne set for surprise transfer

Payne started at right-back as New Zealand twice surrendered a lead against Team Melli in a politically charged game, which saw some heated arguments in the stands between pro-Monarchy and pro-Islamic Republic supporters of Iran.

The atmosphere at SoFi Stadium was heated, with seemingly half of the crowd booing Iran, while the other cheered on the team. The circumstances surrounding the game overshadowed the 32-year-old's remarkable story, though there were plenty of Kiwi fans who donned a kit with "Payne 2" on the back.

His sudden popularity, particularly in South America, has not gone unnoticed by local clubs. In fact, the Kiwi star could soon be playing his football on the continent.

According to Sky Sports, Club Olimpia from Paraguay are finalising a shock deal to sign Payne from Wellington Phoenix. An agreement between the two clubs is already in place.

The Asuncion-based outfit are the most successful club in Paraguay, winning 48 national championships and three Copa Libertadores, the last of which came in 2002. Olimpia just won the Apertura in Paraguay, their first title in two years.

Payne has been playing for the Phoenix since 2019 after joining from Auckland-based Eastern Suburbs AFC. He was previously on the books at Blackburn Rovers in England but did not make a senior appearance.

The 53-cap New Zealand international has also played for Auckland City, who made headlines at last year's Club World Cup, and the reserve team of the Portland Timbers. Now, he will really have to brush up on his Spanish skills.