Media reports revealed that Australian national team star Cristian Volpato was detained in Sydney after being caught driving at excessive speed twice during the night. The New South Wales Police stated that they detained a 22-year-old man, widely identified by local media as Volpato, who plays professionally in the Italian league.

Police indicated that Volpato passed a breathalyzer test the first time and received a traffic infringement, but was stopped again two hours later and underwent a drug test that showed a positive result for cocaine. Police sent a second sample for further analysis and suspended his international driver's license for six months, leading to the withdrawal of his driving privileges in New South Wales.

Volpato, who plays for Sassuolo in the Italian league, played three matches for Australia in the 2026 World Cup, after switching his international allegiance from Italy to Australia shortly before the finals. Volpato was born in Sydney and represented Italian youth teams before moving to Italy.

For his part, coach Tony Pasha, who oversaw Volpato's training in Sydney, denied that the player had taken cocaine or any other banned substance, emphasizing that Volpato is shocked by the accusation and insists on his innocence.

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