Football Australia has confirmed that Cristian Volpato has decided to represent the Australian national football team at the 2026 FIFA World Cup after previously playing for Italy at youth level.
The 22-year-old midfielder, who holds both Australian and Italian citizenship, was born and raised in Sydney and currently plays for US Sassuolo Calcio in Serie A.
Volpato had previously turned down the chance to represent Australia at the 2022 World Cup and, earlier this year, indicated he preferred to “wait for Italy” despite renewed efforts from Australia's head coach Tony Popovic.
However, Football Australia announced on Friday that it had received official clearance from the Italian Football Federation and submitted the required documents to FIFA to complete the process of changing his international allegiance.
The federation stated that once FIFA approval is finalized, Volpato will become officially eligible to represent Australia.
The development comes just days after Australia lost midfielder Riley McGree for the tournament due to a hamstring injury suffered while playing for Middlesbrough F.C..
Popovic is expected to announce Australia’s final 26-man squad on Monday for the World Cup, which will be held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico from June 11 to July 19.
Australia have been drawn in a group alongside Turkey, the United States, and Paraguay, while Italy national football team failed to qualify for the tournament.
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