Cristian Volpato says ‘something in his heart’ and the opportunity to play at a FIFA World Cup prompted his decision to change international allegiance from Italy to Australia, the 22-year-old told Football Australia’s website.
The move was announced late last Friday and saw Volpato fly into Los Angeles the next day, watching from the Rose Bowl as his new teammates lost 1-0 to Mexico. He was subsequently included in Australia’s 26-player World Cup squad and is one of two uncapped players named, alongside Tete Yengi.
Born in Sydney, Volpato moved to Italy at age 17 in 2020 to join AS Roma’s academy. He made his senior debut for Roma under José Mourinho and represented Italy at under-19, under-20 and under-21 levels. He declined a spot in Graham Arnold’s Australia squad for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, a decision Arnold said he tried to reverse with multiple calls.
After Volpato’s camp signalled interest in discussing a switch, coach Tony Popovic and assistant Paul Okon visited the forward at his club Sassuolo in February. Volpato said he had been weighing his identity and felt both Italian and Australian, and that returning to represent Australia had been a long, difficult decision. Team-mate Alessandro Circati said he never doubted Volpato would opt for the Green and Gold.
Volpato praised Popovic and said he had been learning from the coach. He will be part of Australia’s Group D squad that faces Türkiye, co-hosts the United States and Paraguay. Popovic indicated in pre-game remarks that Volpato could make his senior international debut as soon as Saturday, noting the attacker has been behind on fitness but looked ‘quite good’ and needs to improve his conditioning.
