Australian World Cup star allegedly tests positive for cocaine after speeding

Australia’s World Cup star Cristian Volpato allegedly tested positive for cocaine after he was stopped for driving over the speed limit in Sydney, police said. The 22-year-old made three appearances for Australia at the World Cup and was one of the team’s breakout stars, having switched allegiances from Italy before the tournament. New South Wales police said Volpato was allegedly clocked driving at 109km/h, going 50km/h over the speed limit, when he was stopped on Sydney’s Anzac Bridge at around 1am on Friday morning. Volpato was then subjected to a roadside drug test which returned a positive result for cocaine, New South Wales police said in a statement. A second sample will also be examined while Volpato’s driver’s license has been suspended for six months. Police also said Volpato was stopped two hours earlier, at around 11pm on Thursday, and was issued with an infringement notice after allegedly driving more than 20km/h over the speed limit. Police gave him an alcohol test but he returned a negative result. Volpato, who plays his club football for Italian side Sassuolo, was born in Sydney but represented Italy at Under-20 level having joined Roma in 2020.