Caught using cocaine! 2026 World Cup player at the center of major scandal

The young player had far too many explanations to give for just one night.

Details: According to The Guardian, 22-year-old Sassuolo and Australia midfielder Cristian Volpato was stopped by Sydney police. An on-the-spot preliminary drug test reportedly returned a positive result for cocaine. A second saliva sample was sent for further laboratory analysis.

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Reports state that the footballer was driving a BMW across the Anzac Bridge at 109 km/h in a 60 km/h zone. Furthermore, police had allegedly stopped Volpato on the same stretch of road just two hours earlier—again for speeding.

The player received a fine, and his international driving license was suspended for six months in New South Wales. At present, Volpato has not been charged with a criminal offense, and the investigation is ongoing.

It's worth noting that prior to the 2026 World Cup, Volpato switched his sporting nationality from Italian to Australian. At the tournament, the midfielder played three matches and helped Australia advance out of the group stage.

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