{
  "id": 780625,
  "title": "Tim Payne’s fame began as an internet joke. Now his shirt has sparked a bidding war",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/13/tim-paynes-fame-began-as-an-internet-joke-now-his-shirt-has-sparked-a",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-08-13T15:42:06.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/tim-payne-fame-began-internet-154206508.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In the unlikely rise of Tim Payne, a 32-year-old defender, his internet fame began as a joke. With just over 4,000 Instagram followers, Payne entered the World Cup and soon became a social media sensation. Before representing New Zealand at the World Cup, he spent most of his career out of the limelight, playing for low-profile clubs in New Zealand and Australia, and one year in England’s Blackburn Rovers, but never made a major appearance due to work-permit issues. Argentine soccer influencer Valen Scarsini, known as El Scarso, sought out the World Cup's \"least-known soccer player\" and persuaded his 2 million followers to support Payne, causing his following to skyrocket to over 5.4 million. This surge in online fame led to Payne signing with Paraguay's national club champion Olimpia on a one-year deal in June, ending his seven-year stint with Wellington Phoenix in the Australian A-League. Payne's debut for Olimpia against Asunción club Rubio Ñu on August 2, where he scored minutes after coming off the bench, helped to secure the leading offer for his match-worn jersey, which has climbed above 21 million guarani, equivalent to around $3,270. Payne expressed his gratitude for the shirt in a video launching the auction, stating his desire to give it to a true Olimpista fan.",
  "summary": "Just a few months ago, few soccer fans outside New Zealand knew Tim Payne’s name. 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,…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": "https://urgent.news/ill/780625.png",
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "ABC News",
        "title": "Payne's fame began as a joke. Now his shirt has sparked a bidding war",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/13/paynes-fame-began-as-a-joke-now-his-shirt-has-sparked-a-bidding-war",
        "published": "2026-08-13T23:31:31.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}