Overview
- Volpato says he made the decision to switch from Italy to Australia after Sassuolo’s May 24 match against Parma and was a surprise inclusion in Tony Popovic’s 26‑man World Cup squad announced on May 31.
- As a teenager he was released by Sydney FC and Western Sydney Wanderers, prompting his family to sell their business and move to Italy where he earned a place at AS Roma and played for Italy at youth level.
- His move required a frantic administrative scramble because his Australian passport had expired, forcing a quick trip back to Sydney to renew it before flying to Los Angeles to join the Socceroos.
- Volpato’s late arrival has been followed by on‑field impact: he impressed off the bench against the United States, earned a first start versus Paraguay and has formed dangerous attacking combinations with Jordan Bos and Nestor Irankunda.
- The switch has provoked mixed fan reaction given his Italian youth caps and ties to figures like Francesco Totti, and it could raise Volpato’s profile with clubs while changing the Socceroos’ attacking options going forward.