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The moment Tony Popovic eventually assembled his initial Socceroos squad, the recently appointed coach presented a range of standards. A lot were clear and to the point – perfect in light of the upheaval around his unexpected appointment, following Graham Arnold’s resignation, and with fewer than three weeks to get ready for vital 2026 World Cup qualifying matches against China and Japan.

Popovic asserted that any player who aimed to represent in a Socceroos shirt would need to adopt an “top-tier” mindset to secure, or keep that distinction. But there was another point. Not so much an order and a call to greatness – and one that has been cast clearer into perspective with each step taken on the path towards the World Cup in North America.

“My visions were to do something extraordinary, in my introductory talk to the players,” Popovic says. “That hasn’t changed.”

Just over a year on from that gathering in an Adelaide hotel, a lot of other things have evolved, even if Popovic’s ambitions remain the same. The coach, for one, appears truly settled as Socceroos manager. The 52-year-old’s reputation for discipline sharply contrasts with the expansive and at times cheerful figure speaking freely for over an hour in what have become periodic interviews with football media. Likewise have the fortunes of his team changed, with memories of a defeat to Bahrain and stalemate with Indonesia seeming quite far off after victories over Japan and Saudi Arabia in June booked the Socceroos’ berth in next year’s worldwide tournament.

Those victories 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 surprising precipice of crashing pot two in the World Cup draw. The results of November exhibition games 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 context.

Although Popovic admits that he started in the job thinking to only be able to depend on a core group of players, he now feels the pool he can call upon has expanded. This is not only through the rise of young players 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 wilderness and Paul Izzo’s blossoming into a bona fide Socceroos keeper with the ability to compete with Maty Ryan.

“The squad has totally 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 truly have much outside of this. Just make it work and make them better.’ Now, I think like there are 15, 20 players that have come into 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 rise of talent, and the change in mindset it has brought about in Popovic, has paved the way for players on the edges of the squad. Even those not yet regarded among those circle can hold out hope that, in June next year, they could be on the flight. A player like Adrian Segečić might be about to sit out 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 every chance of being part of his plans.

“I don’t want to put a limit or a halt on that – to announce 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 believe that they have an opportunity. Why can’t there be an additional player that joins in June?”

But this expansion, in a way, leads back to Popovic’s first address as Socceroos head coach. For just as much as he wants players to impress him, to do something outstanding and rise above the expectations others have for them, he wants his team to have the same attitude.

“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 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 sitting back and praising something remarkable from the Socceroos? Why should we have restrictions? Why not do it now?”