Cristian Volpato's Journey Home to the Socceroos

Cristian Volpato has finally followed his heart home.

The Sassuolo attacker is poised to pull on the green and gold for the first time against Switzerland at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego, a dawn kick-off on Sunday AEST that could mark a defining moment in his career and for the Socceroos.

For years, his story has hovered over Australian football like an unanswered question. Born in Sydney, polished in Italy, capped at youth level by the Azzurri, Volpato became the poster boy for the one that got away when he turned down Graham Arnold’s late bid to take him to the 2022 World Cup with Australia.

Now, at 22, the decision has flipped.

“Obviously, playing in a World Cup for your nation is something unreal,” he said in a video interview released by Football Australia, his first public explanation since switching allegiance last week. Italy’s absence from this year’s tournament loomed large over his thinking. The chance was there with Australia. It wasn’t with the Azzurri.

Back at Roma as an 18-year-old, Volpato chose to wait. He admitted he stayed in his “comfort zone” with Italy, reluctant to make a call that would define his international future. The tug-of-war between two identities never really left him.

“I’m Italian and I’m Australian, so it’s actually been a big decision that’s always been in my head 24/7 for quite a while,” he said. “It’s really hard because it’s like people want you to choose something, one or the other.”

This time, the pull of home won.

“Something — I don’t know — in my heart just said, ‘I think it’s time to come home.’”

The conversation that changed everything

The shift did not come from a desperate sales pitch. Tony Popovic, in charge of the Socceroos for this World Cup tilt, made it clear he would not beg. The discussions were long, honest, and, crucially, on Volpato’s terms.

He also leaned heavily on close friend Alessandro Circati, the Parma defender who has already committed to Australia. The two faced off on the final day of the Serie A season when Sassuolo met Parma, but the most important exchanges came off the pitch.

“He [Circati] was trying to convince me, and I was like, alright, I’m gonna come, I’m gonna come,” Volpato said.

The persuasion worked. The door that had been left ajar for years finally swung open.

Popovic confirmed on Friday that Volpato is “fit and available” to face Switzerland and expects him to get minutes after the attacker missed the Mexico friendly due to his late arrival in camp. The staff have been working to lift his conditioning to match the rest of the squad; now, Popovic says, he looks the sharpest he has since landing.

Inside the group, any potential tension over his late switch has been kept firmly in-house. Midfielder Connor Metcalfe brushed away a question about whether Volpato’s change of heart had caused issues among the players, a sign the squad is keen to move past the noise and into the football.

Volpato, for his part, already sounds like he belongs.

“Obviously I do feel Australian, so it felt really good coming in, being brought in by the boys, and speaking English — Aussie,” he said.

A point to prove

There is more than sentiment driving him. There is an edge.

“Obviously people are writing us off a lot because we’re Australia, but I believe in the group, I believe in the coach, I think we’ve got a really good team, so hopefully we can shock a lot of people,” he said.

This World Cup cycle has a familiar tone: Australia as the underdog, dismissed on paper, banking on cohesion and belief to bridge any talent gap. Volpato, a player courted by Italy and forged in Serie A, adds a different flavour to that narrative. He carries the technical polish of the Italian system, but now ties it to a squad that thrives on defiance.

He is not the only fresh face on the brink. Striker Tete Yengi could also debut against Switzerland in what doubles as Australia’s final friendly before the World Cup. It is more than a tune-up; it is a selection test, a chemistry check, and a chance for latecomers to stake their claim.

Popovic called it “a good dress rehearsal, good last hit-out for players to get minutes in before the big dance in front of us.” The conditions have been chosen with purpose. A midday kick-off and a quick exit from the city mirror the logistics of Australia’s second group match against the United States on June 19 (June 20 AEST).

Before that, the Socceroos open their campaign against Turkey on June 13 in Vancouver. Switzerland, a seasoned European opponent with tournament pedigree, offers the kind of stern examination Australia needs before stepping into that cauldron.

For Volpato, though, Switzerland is more than preparation. It is a line in the sand.

The player who once said he would wait for Italy’s senior call has chosen a different path. The kid who stayed in his comfort zone now walks into a World Cup with a nation that many still underestimate.

He wanted the biggest stage. He wanted to feel at home. On Saturday in San Diego, he finally gets a shot at both.