Socceroos World Cup forward Cristian Volpato could be facing disciplinary action from the national team after NSW Police said a second test allegedly detected cocaine in his system.
The 22-year-old Sassuolo attacker has been handed a $722 fine over a July traffic stop on Sydney’s Anzac Bridge, which came only weeks after he had represented Australia at the World Cup.
Volpato has told Football Australia officials he did not knowingly take the substance. He is understood to have produced a negative result at a private clinic in Australia, while Sassuolo also said a later test conducted in Italy came back negative.
Despite those results, NSW Police confirmed that their secondary oral fluid analysis returned a positive reading.
‘On Tuesday 1 September 2026, a 22-year-old man was issued a Traffic Infringement Notice for drive motor vehicle with illicit drug present in oral fluid,’ NSW Police said.
Football Australia said it was seeking independent verification of the latest information.
Socceroo World Cup star Cristian Volpato could face suspension from the national team after a second police test allegedly confirmed cocaine
Volpato told Football Australia staff he never knowingly ingested cocaine, while separate private tests reportedly returned negative results
NSW Police issued Volpato a $722 fine after secondary testing confirmed the positive roadside cocaine result from July
The report stated he would face no further police action.
His national team availability for Australia remains unresolved, with friendlies against Brazil this month and January’s Asian Cup approaching.
Football Australia said it had been made aware of information concerning a reported secondary oral test result relating to one of its players.
‘We are currently seeking independent verification,’ the governing body said in a statement.
‘The matter is being managed in accordance with Football Australia’s established protocols. To protect the integrity of this process and ensure procedural fairness, we will not comment further.’
Volpato could be referred to FA’s disciplinary and ethics committee, which has the power to suspend him from national team action.
No football suspension has been announced.
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The incident followed two alleged speeding offences on the same Sydney bridge within just over two hours.
Football Australia said it was seeking independent verification of the reported result before commenting further on the matter
Socceroos coach Tony Popovic declined to speculate about Volpato’s selection while Football Australia’s process remained ongoing this week
Police first stopped Volpato’s BMW Coupe at about 11.05pm on July 23, alleging he was travelling at least 25km/h above the 60km/h speed limit.
He returned a negative breath test and received a speeding infringement notice.
Officers stopped him again in the early hours of July 24, allegedly for travelling at 109km/h in the same zone.
That stop produced the alleged positive roadside cocaine reading. Volpato received another speeding infringement notice and his international driver’s licence was suspended for six months.
Socceroos coach Tony Popovic declined to say whether he would select the forward for the Brazil matches when questioned in Sydney on Tuesday.
‘I don’t know exactly the details of what happened and it would be wrong to speculate on what happened,’ Popovic said.
‘There is a process that’s playing out at the moment and we need to follow that process.’
The case has drawn comparisons with A-League Women goalkeeper Teresa Morrissey, who received a three-match FA ban last year after testing positive for cannabis while driving.
Morrissey said she had used cannabis for medicinal purposes. Her legal team argued the punishment was disproportionate given her public profile.
Volpato joined Australia’s World Cup squad after switching his international allegiance from Italy shortly before the tournament.
Born and raised in Sydney, he represented Italy at under-19 and under-20 level before committing to the Socceroos, who were eliminated by Egypt in the Round of 32.
He has made three appearances for Sassuolo this season but was unable to finish their latest match against Bologna because of a suspected hamstring injury.