Australia international Cristian Volpato is under police investigation after allegedly testing positive for cocaine following two speeding incidents in Sydney on the same night.
According to New South Wales Police, the 22-year-old midfielder was first stopped at about 11:05 p.m. on Thursday while driving a BMW Coupe on the Anzac Bridge.
Officers said he was travelling between 86km/h and 94km/h in a 60km/h speed zone.A roadside breath test conducted during the stop returned a negative result for alcohol.
However, approximately two hours later, police stopped Volpato again after he was allegedly caught driving at 109km/h in the same 60km/h zone. During the second stop, authorities said an oral fluid test allegedly returned a positive result for cocaine.
A secondary sample was collected for further laboratory analysis as investigations continue.Police issued Volpato with an infringement notice for speeding and suspended his international driver’s licence for six months, preventing him from driving in New South Wales.
Volpato recently represented Australia at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, featuring in three of the Socceroos’ four matches before their Round of 32 elimination to Egypt in a penalty shootout.The midfielder switched his international allegiance from Italy to Australia in May, shortly before being named in Australia’s World Cup squad.
At club level, Volpato plays for Italian Serie A side Sassuolo, where he made 24 league appearances during the 2025/26 season. Football Australia confirmed it is in contact with the player and is monitoring the situation.”We have been in contact with the player and continue to monitor the matter and support the player throughout this process,” the governing body said.
The Professional Footballers Australia union also acknowledged the reports, stating that it is aware of the matter and will ensure Volpato receives appropriate support while investigations are ongoing.
