After World Cup Participation, Police Detain 'Christian Volpato'

July 24, 2026 - 17:42 | Last updated July 24, 2026 - 17:42

Follow Okaz channel on WhatsApp

Mohammed Al-Sahi

Australian player Christian Volpato, striker for Italian club Sassuolo, faces off-field trouble after a preliminary police test showed a positive result for cocaine, following his detention for excessive speeding in Sydney, Australia.

New South Wales Police stopped the 22-year-old player in the early hours of Friday morning after he was spotted driving at 109 km/h in a 60 km/h zone.

Volpato underwent a preliminary drug test, which showed, according to police and media reports, a positive result for cocaine, before a second saliva sample was taken and sent to a lab for further analysis.

The incident comes after police stopped the player for a second time that same night for speeding, as he had earlier received a citation for driving above the speed limit.

Based on the measures taken, Volpato's international driver's license was suspended for six months, while no criminal charges have been filed yet, pending the results of additional tests.

Football Australia announced that it is aware of the incident, confirming it is in contact with the player and providing support during the investigation, while the Professional Footballers Australia union also pledged its support.

The crisis comes just weeks after Volpato became one of the most prominent rising faces in Australian football, after he chose to represent Australia instead of Italy, for whose youth teams he had previously played.

Volpato was part of Australia's squad for the 2026 World Cup, after coach Tony Popovic called him up to the national team following his international switch to the 'Kangaroos'. The player plays for Italian side Sassuolo, having progressed through Roma's academy.