He turned down a World Cup berth four years ago. Now Volpato is ‘open’ to playing for the Socceroos

Four years after he turned down a World Cup berth with the Socceroos, Cristian Volpato has indicated he is finally open to representing Australia at international level.

Volpato, who plays his club football for Sassuolo in Italy’s Serie A, was paid a visit last month by Socceroos coach Tony Popovic and his assistant Paul Okon.

They were not there to woo the 22-year-old, Popovic insisted – in line with his declaration when he took on the job that he would never “sell the shirt” to an unsure player – but rather responding to overtures from Volpato’s camp that he is interested in pulling on the green and gold.

“Paolo’s been in touch with him regularly … and on this occasion, he indicated that he’d be interested in a discussion about playing for Australia,” Popovic said.

“And once he indicated that to Paolo, then I was in Europe, and we both went over to see him, have a chat to him. We just wanted to see what he’s thinking, where he’s at the moment in terms of his football ... we told him about our plans, what we’re trying to do, and then the rest is up to him.”

Volpato did not get on the pitch in the 3-0 win over Hellas Verona watched by Popovic and Okon, and has played a total of just 12 minutes for Sassuolo in 2026 – but his sudden openness to playing for the Socceroos has given rise to a tantalising World Cup possibility.

Born and raised in Sydney, Volpato passed through the academies of both Sydney FC and the Western Sydney Wanderers before popping up unexpectedly at AS Roma, making his debut in the 2021-22 season as a teenager under Jose Mourinho while playing youth international football for Italy.

But Volpato said no to a spot in Graham Arnold’s squad for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, and has equivocated ever since on the matter of his international allegiance, amid long-held suspicions he was holding out hope of representing the Azzurri over Australia.

“There were no ultimatums or any pressure. It was a discussion,” Popovic said. “And if he wants to play for Australia, whether it’s [in] 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 that 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.”

Volpato’s lack of recent game time could count against him in the short-term, with Popovic due to unveil his squad next week for the Socceroos’ upcoming FIFA Series friendlies against Cameroon and Curacao, but Popovic said he will be looking for players who could make an immediate “impact” at the World Cup – and Volpato fits that bill nicely.

Injuries have wreaked havoc with Popovic’s World Cup plans in recent weeks.

Blackburn Rovers defender Lewis Miller, his first-choice right wing-back, will miss the tournament after rupturing his Achilles tendon, while Mohamed Toure’s sensational start at Norwich City has been curtailed by a groin injury, ruling him out of the March window, and Harry Souttar is still yet to return to the pitch for Leicester City, more than a year since doing his Achilles.

Japan-based Kusini Yengi is the latest casualty, with Popovic revealing the Cerezo Osaka striker will miss the next two to three months with a quad issue.

Jackson Irvine, meanwhile, is managing a foot injury that Popovic initially feared would end his World Cup hopes.

“Obviously, he’s playing and playing well,” Popovic said. “We’ll have to see whether that can be managed all the way through to the World Cup. But we also know with that injury, that it can turn quickly. He’s experienced, so he knows how to manage his body, and he’s doing a really good job at that. It’s basically day-by-day, week-by-week.”

With Toure, Yengi and Brisbane Roar’s Nick D’Agostino all sidelined with injury, Popovic may have to get creative with his striking options for the March friendly, hinting that he could experiment with one of his wide players up top, or even call up Ante Suto, a 25-year-old Croatian striker who plays for Hibernian in Scotland but holds an Australian passport.

“Interesting player,” Popovic said.

“He was at Slaven Belupo, a smaller club in Croatia, always a club that’s played younger players and tried to play a certain way, and they usually sell on their players ... but it’s rare that a player goes from that club to Scottish football, because the intensity and the tempo, the difference is so vast between the two leagues.

“Then to see that he’s adapting well to that league, and he’s scoring goals coming off the bench ... maybe they don’t see that he’s physically quite right to start yet, but he’s certainly contributing, and he’s probably adapted a lot better to that type of football, that intensity, quicker than I expected.”