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When Tony Popovic at last brought together his initial Socceroos squad, the fresh coach outlined a set of requirements. A lot were unambiguous and to the point – suitable given the turmoil following his sudden appointment, in the wake of Graham Arnold’s resignation, and with fewer than three weeks to get ready for crucial 2026 World Cup qualifiers against China and Japan.

Popovic asserted that any player who aimed to represent in a Socceroos shirt would need to take on an “elite” mindset to secure, or continue to earn that privilege. But there was another point. Less a demand and a call to greatness – and one that has been cast clearer into focus with every step taken on the journey towards the World Cup in North America.

“My visions 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, a lot of other things have evolved, even if Popovic’s expectations stay the same. The coach, for one, appears really at home as Socceroos boss. The 52-year-old’s standing for discipline differs greatly with the open and at times jovial figure speaking freely for over an hour in what have become frequent discussions with football media. So too have the fortunes of his team progressed, with memories of a setback to Bahrain and stalemate with Indonesia seeming rather distant after victories over Japan and Saudi Arabia in June guaranteed the Socceroos’ place in next year’s international tournament.

Those victories came as part of an 11-game undefeated streak 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 precipice of crashing pot two in the World Cup draw. The results of November exhibition games against Venezuela, currently placed 50th in the world, and 13th-ranked Colombia – as well as Ecuador’s games against Canada and New Zealand, and the final games of European qualifying – carry weight in this regard.

Although Popovic acknowledges that he started in the job thinking to only be able to count on a core group of players, he now feels the selection he can trust has swelled. This isn’t just through the breakthrough of talented youth such as Nestory Irankunda, Max Balard, or Mohamed Touré as authentic international players. There are also the examples of Miloš Degenek’s reappearance from the obscurity and Paul Izzo’s growth into a genuine Socceroos keeper with the capability to compete with Maty Ryan.

“The squad has completely changed in my mind – of what’s possible with players that have entered,” Popovic says. “I first thought, ‘OK, this is my group; I don’t fully have much outside of this. Just manage and make them better.’ Now, I think like there are 15, 20 players that have joined 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 rise of talent, and the change in thinking it has brought about in Popovic, has paved the way for players on the fringes of the squad. Even those not yet regarded within those circle can keep faith 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 – continues to perform steadily, then the coach is emphasizing they’re in with a shot of being part of his plans.

“I don’t want to put a cap or a stop on that – to announce in March that this is our squad, and there may be one or two more inclusions,” Popovic says. “No, I want every player to know that they have an chance. Why can’t there be another player that steps up in June?”

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

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

“I repeat it to the group: one day, Australia will go a long way in the World Cup. And why not this group? Why do we have to wait two or three World Cups, when I’m watching and cheering something remarkable from the Socceroos? Why should we have limits? Why not do it now?”