Cristian Volpato was a heartbroken, rejected teenager crying in his dad's car when he turned his back on Australian football and set his sights on Italy.

Then after years of wrestling with his allegiances, the 22-year-old's heart called him back.

Volpato was the shock inclusion in Tony Popovic's Socceroos squad on May 31 for this year's World Cup after a last-minute defection from Italy to his country of birth.

It was the culmination of a journey that started when he was cut by Sydney FC, then Western Sydney's academy at 16 before moving to Italy in 2020 and signing with Roma, where his rise began.

Volpato was asked on Monday, his first press conference since joining the Socceroos, whether he had held any animosity towards Australia and said: 'Not really'.

Then, speaking ahead of Australia's round-of-32 clash with Egypt on Friday (Saturday AEST), Volpato elaborated.

Socceroos Cristian Volpato (pictured) has relived the moment he was left crying in his family's car just before he decided to leave Australia and play in Italy

The 22-year-old's mother Claudia (pictured together) sold her shop so he could head overseas and realise his potential after being knocked back by two Aussie football academies

'Growing up in Australia and playing for the two best academies in Sydney, I got told from both of them that basically I'm not good enough to play and I just felt like it was my time to just – I don't know,' he said.

'I've always wanted to go to Italy as a kid so I think it came out perfectly, to be honest.

'Because then straight after I just remember the car ride home with my dad, I was crying and he just said, "Don't worry, we'll go to Italy now and we'll try it."

'My mum, she sold her shop, we leased our house, we left everything just to go for a trial. And thank God I made the trial and my life changed from there.

'So I feel like I have to give a lot as well to Italy because they gave me a second opportunity and from there I also got picked for the Italian team first so I just accepted.'

As a teenager, fresh off breaking through at Roma under Jose Mourinho, then-Italy youth international Volpato famously knocked back Graham Arnold's offer to join Australia's 2022 World Cup squad.

As recently as March, Volpato, who has used social media criticism as 'fuel', declared he was 'waiting for Italy'.

On Monday, Volpato said his focus back then had been getting minutes at club Sassuolo.

Volpato stunned Aussie football fans when he backflipped and decided to play for the country of his birth at the World Cup (pictured)

The midfielder/winger has been playing for Italian Serie A side Sassuolo since 2023 (pictured)

Rising Aussie star Cristian Volpato opens up on why he snubbed the Socceroos for the World Cup - but gives green and gold fans reason to hope for the future

'But then obviously I just one day woke up literally and I just talked to my family and said, "Mum, I want to play for Australia,"' he added.

Volpato's call came after a May 24 game for Sassuolo against fellow ex-Italy youth international Alessandro Circati's Parma.

'Just before the (World Cup) team list came out basically, a couple of days before,' Volpato said.

'It was actually after the game against Parma, when we played against Circati, and it was just something clicked and my heart said 'just go, I think you belong there'.

'I didn't want to come being 50-50. If I wanted to come, it's because I wanted to come and because I felt it was right ... It hasn't been six months - it's been four-and-a-half years.

'It's been a long time, but I'm grateful that I made my decision, and it came from me and it came from my heart.'

Italy didn't qualify for the World Cup, then in late May, picked a June squad full of young talent - and Volpato wasn't in it.

When asked if that was a factor in his call, Volpato said: 'Kind of yes and no.

'Because for me it was just like 'I want to play for Australia.'

'Because Italy could have called me to the World Cup ... but I just chose I wanted to play for Australia.

'I felt like it was right. I felt like I could be myself and I can show myself here more.'

Here’s how to get last-minute Wimbledon 2026 tickets with a discount

Get last-minute Wimbledon 2026 tickets with a discount

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Here’s how to get last-minute Wimbledon 2026 tickets with a discount

By Matt Levy Published June 29, 2026, 10:32 p.m. ET

Jannik Sinner (L) and Aryna Sabalenka are playing at Wimbledon in 2026. — Getty Images

See more of our coverage in your search results.

Add The California Post on Google New York Post may be compensated and/or receive an affiliate commission if you click or buy through our links. Featured pricing is subject to change.

Tennis season is officially in full swing.

On Monday, June 29, Wimbledon got underway in dramatic fashion at The All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club.

Defending men’s champion Jannik Sinner of Italy barely took down No. 50 Miomir Kecmanović, defeating the Serb in five sets. Mid-match, the world No. 1 tripped, crumpled to the ground mid-rally and later saw his foot get bloodied.

Meanwhile, women’s No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka had better luck against a Serbian underdog, besting Teodora Kostovic 6-2, 6-3.

And that was just day one.

If you’d like to be at the world-famous grassy London courts, last-minute all-day passes are still available for all upcoming dates of the iconic tourney.

At the time of publication, the lowest price we could find on passes was $2,115 including fees on SeatGeek (that’s for Thursday, July 9, by the way).

Other dates have passes starting anywhere from $2,729 to $13,985 including fees.

Make sure to use promo code NYPOST10 for $10 off purchases over $250 at checkout (Editor’s Note: this discount is only valid for users’ first purchase on SeatGeek).

In addition to Sinner and Sabalenka, notable players also set to take the grass by storm over the next two weeks include seven-time Wimbledon champ Novak Djokovic, Roland Garros victor Alexander Zverev, World No. 2 Elena Rybakina, 2025 winner Iga Świątek and fan-favorite Coc Gauff.

Plus, Serena Williams will be on the grounds playing singles as well.

Fans that have never attended are in for a literal treat, too.

“Pimms and strawberries and cream are an integral part of the Wimbledon experience – 200,000 punnets of strawberries are served during the Championships,” On The Luce reports.

“There are lots of other eating options though, ranging from takeaway cafés to sit-down restaurants and Champagne bars.”

~~Want~~ Need to politely clap while watching the world’s most elite tennis players live?

We’ve got your back~~hand~~.

Our team has everything you need to know and more about attending Wimbledon 2026 live in England below.

How much are tickets for Wimbledon 2026?

A complete day-by-day breakdown of all the cheapest Wimbledon tickets can be found here:

Wimbledon dates	Ticket prices start at
Tuesday, June 30	$3,205 (including fees)
Wednesday, July 1	$3,378 (including fees)
Thursday, July 2	$2,729 (including fees)
Friday, July 3	$2,943 (including fees)
Saturday, July 4	$2,859 (including fees)
Sunday, July 5	$2,821 (including fees)
Monday, July 6	$2,997 (including fees)
Tuesday, July 7	$3,702 (including fees)
Wednesday, July 8	$3,996 (including fees)
Thursday, July 9	$2,115 (including fees)
Friday, July 10	$11,655 (including fees)
Saturday, July 11	$4,374 (including fees)
Sunday, July 12	$13,985 (including fees)

Where can I get U.S. Open tickets?

Fans hoping to attend Flushing’s annual blue court tourney can pick up tickets well over a month in advance.

If you’d like to catch beloved blue court battles live in Queens, some seats can be yours for as low as $54 including fees on SeatGeek.

Not too bad considering you won’t have to travel to England and will likely see many familiar faces that also competed at Wimbledon (plus, Roger Federer who is putting on a one-night doubles event with Andre Agassi, John McEnroe and Andy Roddick on Aug. 24).

To find the match that makes the most sense for your schedule and wallet, you can find 2026 U.S. Open tickets here.

About Wimbledon 2026

One of this year’s biggest storylines at Wimbledon are all the players not taking part in the tournament.

Sadly, Carlos Alcaraz will be sitting due to a wrist injury he suffered at the Barcelona Open this spring. Biggies Marketa Vondrousova, Emma Raducanu and Jack Draper have also withdrawn.

On a lighter note, as noted above, 44-year-old Serena Williams is competing in a singles match at Wimbledon for the first time since 2022. All eyes will be on her for her match with 20-year-old Australian Maya Joint on June 30.

Players will also be getting paid more than ever before. Ahead of this year’s Wimbledon, a 20% prize pool increase was implemented. Other upgrades at the tourney include a video review system for controversial line calls and new-and-improved heat stress rules.

Wimbledon fashion 2026

Off the court, trendsetters will be serving looks in the stands.

Just a few of the biggest attention-grabbers this year thus far include Naomi Osaka’s kimono-inspired fit, Bad Bunny’s low-key look, Judd Apatow and Leslie Mann’s simple yet elegant numbers, Isla Fisher’s flow-y dress and Sir David Beckham’s classy, single-breasted suit.

Huge artists on tour in 2026

Need a little bit of music in your life too?

Here are just five huge artists you won’t want to miss live these next few months.

• Harry Styles

• Daniel Caesar

• Olivia Rodrigo

• Ariana Grande

• Louis Tomlinson

Who else is on the road this year? Take a look at our list of the 50 biggest concert tours in 2026 to find out.

Why you should trust ‘Post Wanted’ by the New York Post

This article was written by Matt Levy, New York Post live events reporter. Levy stays up-to-date on all the latest tour announcements from your favorite musical artists and comedians, as well as Broadway openings, sporting events and more live shows – and finds great ticket prices online. Since he started his tenure at the Post in 2022, Levy has reviewed a Bruce Springsteen concert and interviewed Melissa Villaseñor of SNL fame, to name a few. Please note that deals can expire, and all prices are subject to change.

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