New Zealand’s Tim Payne celebrates after their victory during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Oceania qualifiers group final football match between New Zealand and New Caledonia at Eden Park Stadium in Auckland on March 24, 2025. Credit: DAVID ROWLAND / AFP

New Zealand’s World Cup-bound Tim Payne said Friday it was “pretty crazy” to have become the country’s most followed football account after an influencer identified him as the “least known” player in the competition and called for fans to boost his posts.

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