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When Tony Popovic at last gathered his maiden Socceroos squad, the fresh coach outlined a set of requirements. Most were clear and direct – suitable given the upheaval surrounding his sudden entry, following Graham Arnold’s resignation, and with less than three weeks to get ready for crucial 2026 World Cup fixtures against China and Japan.

Popovic asserted that any player who aimed to represent in a Socceroos shirt would need to take on an “premier” mindset to earn, or keep that honour. But there was a further point. Not so much an order and an invitation to excel – and one that has been brought sharper into perspective with every step taken on the journey towards the World Cup in North America.

“My expectations were to do something remarkable, in my initial talk to the players,” Popovic says. “That stays constant.”

Just over a year on from that meeting in an Adelaide hotel, many of other things have evolved, even if Popovic’s goals remain the same. The coach, for one, looks truly settled as Socceroos manager. The 52-year-old’s image for discipline sharply contrasts with the expansive and at times jovial figure speaking freely for over an hour in what have become periodic interviews with football media. So too have the performances of his team progressed, with memories of a loss to Bahrain and draw with Indonesia seeming fairly remote after wins over Japan and Saudi Arabia in June guaranteed the Socceroos’ berth in next year’s global tournament.

Those victories came as part of an 11-game unbeaten run under Popovic, one that was only snapped away by the United States earlier this month. It’s momentum that has taken the Socceroos to the unlikely edge of breaking into pot two in the World Cup draw. The results of November exhibition games against Venezuela, presently positioned 50th in the world, and 13th-ranked Colombia – as well as Ecuador’s games against Canada and New Zealand, and the last games of European qualifying – carry weight in this regard.

Although Popovic acknowledges that he arrived in the job expecting to only be able to depend on a core group of players, he now believes the pool he can rely on has expanded. This isn’t just through the rise of youngsters such as Nestory Irankunda, Max Balard, or Mohamed Touré as real international players. There are also the examples of Miloš Degenek’s comeback from the obscurity and Paul Izzo’s blossoming into a genuine Socceroos keeper with the potential to push Maty Ryan.

“The squad has entirely changed in my mind – of what’s achievable with players that have entered,” Popovic says. “I first thought, ‘OK, this is my group; I don’t really have much apart from this. Just manage and make them better.’ Now, I think like there are 15, 20 players that have joined that, and I’m convinced there are additional ones to come that I feel can help make us better as a squad at the World Cup.”

This unexpected appearance of talent, and the change in outlook it has brought about in Popovic, has created opportunities for players on the periphery of the squad. Even those not yet regarded amongst those group can remain optimistic that, come June next year, they could be on the plane. A player like Adrian Segečić might be about to be absent for a month of playing due to an ankle injury, but if he – or any other player – keeps to deliver steadily, then the coach is emphasizing they’re every chance of being part of his plans.

“I don’t want to put a cap or a halt on that – to reveal in March that this is our squad, and there may be one or two more additions,” Popovic says. “No, I want every player to believe that they have an possibility. Why can’t there be an additional player that joins in June?”

But this growth, in a way, brings us back to Popovic’s initial address as Socceroos head coach. For just as much as he wants players to exceed expectations him, to do something outstanding and rise above the expectations others have for them, he wants his team to have the same philosophy.

“Saying I want to do something unique is just ‘we don’t want to have boundaries’,” Popovic says. “We don’t want to pigeonhole ourselves into ‘let’s be competitors at the World Cup, and let’s go home and pat each other on the back for being there’.

“I emphasize it to the group: one day, Australia will go deep in the World Cup. And why not this group? Why do we have to wait two or three World Cups, when I’m sitting back and cheering something exceptional from the Socceroos? Why should we have limits? Why not do it now?”