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As soon as Tony Popovic eventually assembled his maiden Socceroos squad, the recently appointed coach presented a series of requirements. A lot were clear and to the point – ideal in light of the upheaval around his sudden appointment, in the wake of Graham Arnold’s departure, and with fewer than three weeks to get ready for crucial 2026 World Cup fixtures against China and Japan.

Popovic maintained that any player who aimed to wear a Socceroos shirt would need to adopt an “premier” attitude to secure, or maintain that honour. But there was a further theme. Not so much an order and a call to greatness – and one that has been thrown clearer into focus with any step taken on the road towards the World Cup in North America.

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

Just over a year on from that meeting in an Adelaide hotel, a lot of other things have changed, even if Popovic’s expectations remain the same. The coach, for one, seems genuinely comfortable as Socceroos head. The 52-year-old’s standing for discipline stands in stark contrast with the open and at times jovial figure engaging openly for over an hour in what have become semi-regular interviews with football media. So too have the results of his team changed, with memories of a setback to Bahrain and stalemate with Indonesia appearing rather remote after victories over Japan and Saudi Arabia in June secured the Socceroos’ place in next year’s worldwide tournament.

Those wins 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 brink of breaking into pot two in the World Cup draw. The performances of November exhibition games against Venezuela, presently ranked 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 – are significant in this context.

Although Popovic acknowledges that he started in the job expecting to only be able to depend on a main squad of players, he now thinks the pool he can trust has grown. This doesn't only come through the emergence of talented youth such as Nestory Irankunda, Max Balard, or Mohamed Touré as real international players. There are also the cases of Miloš Degenek’s comeback from the wilderness and Paul Izzo’s development into a true Socceroos keeper with the ability to challenge Maty Ryan.

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

This unforeseen appearance of talent, and the shift in mindset it has sparked in Popovic, has paved the way for players on the periphery of the squad. Even those not yet regarded amongst those circle can remain optimistic that, in 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 consistently, then the coach is stating plainly they’re highly likely of being part of his plans.

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

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

“Saying I want to do something exceptional is just ‘we don’t want to have boundaries’,” 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 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 observing and praising something exceptional from the Socceroos? Why should we have limits? Why not do it now?”