New South Wales state police have alleged that Cristian Volpato, who represented Australia at the World Cup, tested positive for cocaine and was also charged with speeding.

Police said the 22-year-old Volpato, who switched allegiances from Italy to Australia before the World Cup, was allegedly clocked at 50 km (30 miles) per hour over the designated speed limit when stopped on Sydney's Anzac Bridge early Friday morning.

He was subjected to a roadside drug test which returned a positive result for cocaine, police said in a statement.

Volpato made three appearances for the Socceroos at the latest World Cup. The forward represented Italy at youth level but never appeared for the senior national side.

He began his youth career with Sydney United, Sydney FC and Western Sydney Wanderers. Volpato's big break came when Roma signed him in 2020. He moved to Sassuolo in 2023, where he established himself as a Serie A player.

His final appearance for Italy came at under-21 level in 2025. Volpato had previously been linked with a switch to Australia ahead of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Source: www.aljazeera.com