PASADENA, California - Cristian Volpato is set to complete a sensational switch to the Socceroos on the eve of the FIFA World Cup, with the dual international set to fly into Los Angeles on Saturday in anticipation of his switch in eligibility from Italy to Australia being processed.
It's understood Volpato will land in Los Angeles on Saturday morning local time, the same day that the Socceroos will face Mexico in their final friendly clash before Tony Popovic names his final squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The 22-year-old's availability for that game is unknown, but it's not believed that there will be any kind of delays in his switch in eligibility that would threaten his possible selection in the final 26-player squad for the tournament, with Football Australia receiving a release letter from the Italian Football Federation to support the switch.
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Given the late nature of his arrival, the attacker would almost certainly be flying in on the assumption that he would be named in the World Cup squad, just under four years on from turning down the opportunity to be a part of Graham Arnold's unit at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
After receiving overtures from Volpato's camp that he was "interested in a discussion about playing for Australia," Popovic and assistant coach Paul Okon visited Volpato at his club side Sassuolo in February for discussions on his future in Green and Gold.
And while Popovic, in line with his longstanding policy, didn't sell the shirt to the youngster, and Volpato would subsequently tell local media that he was "waiting for Italy," that conversation would seemingly have planted the seeds for a switch in allegiance to be made.
"There were no ultimatums or any pressure. It was a discussion," Popovic said after that meeting. "And if he wants to play for Australia, whether it's three months, six months, a year; they're young men, you have to respect the decisions they have to make.
"He's a quality young player who has a lot of potential. He hasn't played a lot of football. But he has potential, and now that he's indicated he's open to the idea, the rest is just for him to decide. We'll see whether that happens or doesn't."
Born and raised in Sydney's west, where he logged stints in both the youth academies of Sydney FC and the Western Sydney Wanderers, Volpato has represented Italy's junior national teams since 2022, making his first appearance for the Italian U19s shortly after joining the youth ranks of Serie A side Roma.
He made his senior debut for I Giallorossi under José Mourinho during the 2021-22 season, going on to log 14 appearances with two goals and an assist across all competitions before sealing a move to Sassuolo in 2023.
He has since gone on to make 72 appearances, with seven goals and 11 assists, across league and Cup play for I Neroverdi, including 12 starts in 26 appearances in 2025-26 as Sassuolo marked its return to Serie A after being relegated to the second tier for the 2024-25 campaign.
Volpato's defection to the land of his birth comes days after he was absent from a young Azzurri side for friendlies against Luxembourg and Greece during the June international window, as well as an injury to star attacker Riley McGree that will rule him out of the Socceroos squad for the World Cup.