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As soon as Tony Popovic finally assembled his initial Socceroos squad, the recently appointed coach outlined a series of standards. A lot were straightforward and to the point – ideal considering the turmoil around his unexpected entry, in the wake of Graham Arnold’s exit, and with under three weeks to make arrangements for crucial 2026 World Cup qualifiers against China and Japan.

Popovic maintained that any player who aspired to pull on a Socceroos shirt would need to take on an “elite” attitude to deserve, or continue to earn that privilege. But there was another point. Less a demand and a call to greatness – and one that has been thrown sharper into perspective 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 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 ambitions stay the same. The coach, for one, looks truly at home as Socceroos manager. The 52-year-old’s reputation for discipline stands in stark contrast with the expansive and at times jovial figure engaging openly for over an hour in what have become frequent interviews with football media. Likewise have the fortunes of his team progressed, with recollections of a defeat to Bahrain and tie with Indonesia appearing fairly remote after wins over Japan and Saudi Arabia in June secured the Socceroos’ spot in next year’s worldwide tournament.

Those triumphs 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 performance that has taken the Socceroos to the unexpected brink of breaking into pot two in the World Cup draw. The results of November friendlies against Venezuela, at the moment placed 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 respect.

Although Popovic admits that he began in the job thinking to only be able to count on a key players of players, he now believes the selection he can trust has grown. This isn’t just through the rise of talented youth such as Nestory Irankunda, Max Balard, or Mohamed Touré as genuine international players. There are also the examples of Miloš Degenek’s comeback from the sidelines and Paul Izzo’s development into a genuine Socceroos keeper with the potential to compete with Maty Ryan.

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

This unexpected emergence of talent, and the shift in thinking it has inspired in Popovic, has opened the door for players on the fringes of the squad. Even those not yet viewed amongst those ranks can remain optimistic that, come June next year, they could be on the flight. 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 – keeps to perform regularly, then the coach is making clear 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 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 feel that they have an opportunity. Why can’t there be another player that joins in June?”

But this expansion, 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 remarkable and go beyond the expectations others have for them, he wants his team to have the same attitude.

“Saying I want to do something exceptional 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 congratulate ourselves for being there’.

“I emphasize 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 praising something remarkable from the Socceroos? Why should we have restrictions? Why not do it now?”