ASUNCION, Paraguay (AP) — Just a few months ago, few soccer fans outside New Zealand knew Tim Payne’s name. Now they are bidding thousands of dollars for the jersey off his back.
The shirt Payne wore in his debut for Club Olimpia, a Paraguayan soccer powerhouse, has become a coveted piece of match-worn memorabilia since the club put it up for auction online five days ago. With bidding set to close Thursday, the leading offer has climbed above 21 million in Paraguay’s currency, the guarani, equivalent to around $3,270.
It's the latest development in the unlikely rise of the 32-year-old defender, who entered the World Cup with just over 4,000 followers on Instagram and emerged as one of the tournament’s biggest social media sensations.
Before representing New Zealand at the World Cup, Payne spent most of his career out of the limelight, playing for low-profile clubs in New Zealand and Australia. He also spent two years with England’s Blackburn Rovers but never made a major appearance because of work-permit problems.
Then Argentine soccer influencer Valen Scarsini, known online as El Scarso, went searching for what he called the World Cup’s “least-known soccer player.” Scarsini settled on Payne, whose Instagram account had 4,715 followers at the time, and encouraged his more than 2 million followers across Instagram, TikTok and YouTube to follow Payne, flood his posts with supportive comments and mention his name everywhere.
Within days, Payne's following skyrocketed, eventually topping 5.4 million — more than the entire population of his native New Zealand. The surge in online fame helped carry Payne to Paraguay, where he signed with national club champion Olimpia on a one-year deal in June, ending a seven-year stint with Wellington Phoenix in the Australian A-League.
Payne gave legions of new fans another reason to cheer him during his Aug. 2 debut against Asunción club Rubio Ñu, scoring minutes after coming off the bench to help Olimpia win 5-0.
Now the signed jersey from that match is drawing the sort of interest usually reserved for far more established names — though the leading offer remains a far cry from the millions of dollars paid for jerseys worn by Argentine superstar Lionel Messi and other soccer greats.
“I know exactly what it means to wear these stripes and play in this shirt, and that's why I want to give it to a true Olimpista (Olimpia fan)," Payne said in a video launching the auction.
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