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When Tony Popovic finally gathered his maiden Socceroos squad, the fresh coach outlined a set of requirements. The majority were unambiguous and concise – suitable in light of the upheaval following his unexpected appointment, in the wake of Graham Arnold’s exit, and with under three weeks to make arrangements for critical 2026 World Cup qualifying matches against China and Japan.

Popovic maintained that any player who aspired to wear a Socceroos shirt would need to adopt an “elite” mentality to earn, or maintain that privilege. But there was another message. Not so much an order and an invitation to excel – and one that has been thrown clearer into perspective with every step taken on the road towards the World Cup in North America.

“My hopes were to do something remarkable, in my introductory talk to the players,” Popovic says. “That remains the same.”

A little more than a year on from that meeting in an Adelaide hotel, a lot of other things have evolved, even if Popovic’s expectations are the same. The coach, for one, appears truly comfortable as Socceroos head. The 52-year-old’s standing for strictness sharply contrasts with the open and at times cheerful figure engaging openly for over an hour in what have become frequent interviews with football media. Similarly have the results of his team improved, with memories of a loss to Bahrain and tie with Indonesia seeming fairly distant after wins over Japan and Saudi Arabia in June booked the Socceroos’ place in next year’s global tournament.

Those triumphs came as part of an 11-game unbeaten run under Popovic, one that was only ended away by the United States earlier this month. It’s momentum that has taken the Socceroos to the unlikely brink of crashing pot two in the World Cup draw. The results of November warm-up matches against Venezuela, at the moment ranked 50th in the world, and 13th-ranked Colombia – as well as Ecuador’s games against Canada and New Zealand, and the remaining games of European qualifying – loom large in this context.

While Popovic admits that he arrived in the job assuming to only be able to depend on a main squad of players, he now thinks the selection he can trust has swelled. This is not only through the breakthrough of young players such as Nestory Irankunda, Max Balard, or Mohamed Touré as authentic international players. There are also the examples of Miloš Degenek’s return from the obscurity and Paul Izzo’s growth into a bona fide Socceroos keeper with the potential to challenge Maty Ryan.

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

This unexpected emergence of talent, and the shift in outlook it has brought about in Popovic, has opened the door for players on the edges of the squad. Even those not yet viewed among those ranks can remain optimistic that, come June next year, they could be on the roster. A player like Adrian Segečić might be about to miss a month of playing due to an ankle injury, but if he – or any other player – persists to play consistently, then the coach is emphasizing they’re every chance of being part of his plans.

“I don’t want to put a limit or a stop on that – to declare in March that this is our squad, and there may be one or two more new faces,” Popovic says. “No, I want every player to feel that they have an possibility. Why can’t there be one more player that joins in June?”

But this broadening, in a way, returns us to Popovic’s initial speech as Socceroos head coach. For just as much as he wants players to exceed expectations him, to do something outstanding and go beyond the hopes others have for them, he wants his team to have the same mindset.

“Saying I want to do something special is just ‘we don’t want to have limits’,” Popovic says. “We don’t want to confine ourselves into ‘let’s be contenders at the World Cup, and let’s go home and celebrate for being there’.

“I emphasize it to the group: one day, Australia will go very far 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 applauding something exceptional from the Socceroos? Why should we have limits? Why not do it now?”