Kai Trewin, the Australian taking Tim Payne's viral mantle ahead of the World Cup

A viral social media campaign, born on platforms like Instagram, has propelled Australian footballer Kai Trewin into the global spotlight, echoing a similar phenomenon that transformed New Zealand's Tim Payne into an internet sensation shortly before the World Cup.

The initiative was launched by Spanish football content creator RubikayTV, who urged his followers to replicate the success of the Payne campaign with Trewin. RubikayTV identified Trewin as potentially less known among World Cup-bound players and invited fans to elevate him to viral status. "Tim Payne is not the least known player in the World Cup, it is Kai Trewin, Australia's winger," RubikayTV stated in a video that has garnered significant attention.

Kai Trewin, 25, currently plays for New York City FC after stints with Melbourne City and Brisbane Roar in Australia's A-League. He is capable of playing as a fullback or in defensive midfield positions. While a regular in Australia's youth national teams and considered part of the generation poised to lead the "Socceroos" in the future, his social media presence remained relatively modest compared to other World Cup participants.

RubikayTV framed the campaign playfully: "Trewin has 3,000 followers while Payne started with 4,700. So, in this parallel world, if Tim Payne is Messi, why not make Trewin Cristiano Ronaldo and create one of the World Cup rivalries? They are both from Oceania and play for teams that are not among the favorites." This narrative highlights the shared background of the two players from Oceania and their respective national teams' underdog status.

The campaign's impact was swift. Within five hours of RubikayTV's video post, Trewin's Instagram following jumped from just over 3,000 to surpass 50,000. This surge mirrors the trajectory of Tim Payne, whose Instagram account grew from under 5,000 followers to over 4.2 million in a matter of days due to a similar fan-driven campaign.