Australia midfielder Cristian Volpato is under investigation after allegedly testing positive for cocaine following two speeding incidents in Sydney on the same night.
New South Wales Police said the 22-year-old was first stopped while driving a BMW Coupe across the Anzac Bridge at around 11:05pm local time on Thursday. He was allegedly travelling between 86km/h and 94km/h in a 60km/h zone.
Volpato completed a roadside breath test, which returned a negative result.
Police said he was stopped again approximately two hours later after allegedly reaching 109km/h in another 60km/h zone. During the second stop, he reportedly returned a positive roadside result for cocaine.
The midfielder was issued with a speeding infringement, while his international driving licence was suspended for six months, preventing him from driving in New South Wales during that period.
A secondary oral-fluid sample has been collected for laboratory analysis, and police said their inquiries remain ongoing.
Volpato featured in three of Australia’s four matches at the World Cup, where the Socceroos reached the round of 32 before losing to Egypt in a penalty shootout.
The midfielder previously represented Italy at youth level but changed his international allegiance to Australia in May, shortly before the national squad was announced for the tournament.
At club level, Volpato has been with Sassuolo since 2023. He made 24 league appearances last season as the Serie A side finished 11th in the table.