World Cup Star Lands in Police Trouble After Testing Positive for Hard Drugs While Speeding
- Australia World Cup star Cristian Volpato was pulled over twice in one night for driving nearly double the speed limit in Sydney
- Police stopped the Sassuolo midfielder on the Anzac Bridge, where he first returned a negative breath test before a later stop changed everything
- Volpato, 22, had his international licence suspended for six months following the incident
Australia international Cristian Volpato has tested positive for coke after New South Wales police stopped him twice for speeding on the same night in Sydney.
Officers first pulled over the 22-year-old Sassuolo midfielder at 11.05pm on Thursday on the Anzac Bridge, where he was travelling at around 94km/h in a 60km/h zone.
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A breathalyser test carried out at that stop came back negative, and Volpato was allowed to continue in his BMW Coupe.
Less than two hours later, police stopped him again in the same 60km/h limit area, this time recording his speed at 109km/h.
An oral fluid test at this second stop returned a positive result for coke. A secondary sample was collected for further laboratory analysis, BBC Sport reports.
New South Wales police issued Volpato with an infringement notice for speeding and suspended his international driving licence for six months.
A representative for the player had not provided a public response at the time of reporting.
From Roma's academy to the World Cup
Volpato was born in Camperdown, Australia, and began his football career with Western Sydney before moving to Europe as a junior.
According to The Sun, he developed through Roma's academy system and eventually broke into the club's first team. Sassuolo secured his services in 2023.
Although Volpato represented Italy at youth level, he switched his international allegiance to Australia ahead of the 2026 World Cup squad announcement.
He went on to make three appearances at the tournament for the Socceroos.
Volpato was an unused substitute as Australia beat Turkey 2-0 in their opening group game.
He came off the bench in a 2-0 defeat to the United States before starting the 0-0 draw with Paraguay.
He also featured in the last-32 knockout tie against Egypt, which Australia lost on penalties, though he did not play into extra time.
Cape Verde star under investigation
In another development, Legit.ng reported about the serious allegations facing Cape Verde captain Ryan Mendes as he is under investigation for sexual assault during the national team's preparation for the FIFA World Cup. This unsettling news comes just as the team prepares to face Argentina, raising questions about the impact of the investigation on the squad's morale and performance.
Source: Legit.ng
