Payne's fame began as a joke. Now his shirt has sparked a bidding war

Tim Payne, a 32-year-old Paraguayan soccer defender, rose to fame unexpectedly. Just a few months ago, few outside New Zealand and Australia knew his name. Now, fans are bidding thousands of dollars for his jersey from his debut for Club Olimpia, a top-tier Paraguayan soccer team. The auction for the match-worn shirt began five days ago, with the leading offer already surpassing 21 million guarani, roughly $5,000.

Payne's journey to stardom began with just over 4,000 Instagram followers. In a surprising turn of events, Argentine influencer Valen Scarsini, known as El Scarso, discovered Payne and encouraged his massive following to support him. Within days, Payne's Instagram account exploded, reaching 5.4 million followers, surpassing the population of his home country, New Zealand.

This surge in online fame led to his signing with Olimpia on a one-year deal, marking a significant shift from his previous seven-year tenure with Wellington Phoenix.

Payne's significance to Olimpia was evident during his debut on August 2nd, where he scored minutes after coming off the bench in a 5-0 victory against Asunción club Rubio Ñu. Now, the signed jersey from that game is attracting attention usually reserved for established names like Lionel Messi. Payne, expressing his gratitude in a video launching the auction, stated, "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."