Cristian Volpato impressed at the 2026 World Cup with Australia and admits he would be enthusiastic about joining Fiorentina. ‘It’s a great club, but right now I am a Sassuolo player.’
The 22-year-old midfielder was born in Australia to Italian heritage and moved back to Italy in January 2020 to join the Roma youth academy.
He climbed the ranks and earned a €7.5m transfer to Sassuolo in the summer of 2023, but after representing Italy at various youth levels, he accepted the call to play for Australia at the 2026 World Cup.
That experience ended with the Round of 32 defeat to Egypt in a penalty shoot-out last night.
Volpato on Australia and Sassuolo future
ARLINGTON, TEXAS – JULY 03: Cristian Volpato of Australia is seen during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32 match between Australia and Egypt at Dallas Stadium on July 03, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
“I felt we dominated the game and we’re disappointed because we gave our all,” Volpato told Diretta.it and the Gazzetta dello Sport.
“I am proud of my teammates, the staff and the whole country that woke up at 4am to watch us. We wanted to make them proud and we came really close, but at the end of the day, the details made the difference.
“It was my first World Cup and I am happy, proud of myself and my family. It was not an easy choice for me, but I felt within me that it was the right one.”
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON – JUNE 19: Cristian Volpato of Australia controls the ball during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group D match between USA and Australia at Seattle Stadium on June 19, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
This experienced helped raise Volpato’s profile and could serve him well on the transfer market, where it is entirely possible he will leave Sassuolo this summer.
There have been reports of interest from Fiorentina, where he would reunite with coach Fabio Grosso, who was in charge of Sassuolo for two years.
“I will go on vacation now and unplug for a bit, then my agents will take care of it, and I trust them,” replied Volpato.
“Fiorentina are a great club. They had a bit of a difficult year, but they’ve got the players, the Viola Park is a top level structure, and I also know the coach well.
“There might be many reasons to choose them, but right now I am a Sassuolo player.”
As part of the original transfer from Roma, Sassuolo would owe the Giallorossi a 15 per cent cut of the future sale fee.
His contract with the Neroverdi only runs to June 2028, and last season he contributed two goals with four assists in 24 Serie A appearances.
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