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As soon as Tony Popovic eventually assembled his first Socceroos squad, the new coach outlined a set of expectations. The majority were straightforward and to the point – suitable given the upheaval following his unexpected appointment, after Graham Arnold’s resignation, and with fewer than three weeks to make arrangements for vital 2026 World Cup qualifiers against China and Japan.

Popovic asserted that any player who hoped to wear a Socceroos shirt would need to embrace an “elite” mindset to earn, or continue to earn that distinction. But there was an additional message. Not so much an order and a call to greatness – and one that has been thrown clearer into focus with each step taken on the journey towards the World Cup in North America.

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

Approximately a year on from that team talk in an Adelaide hotel, many of other things have shifted, even if Popovic’s goals are the same. The coach, for one, looks genuinely comfortable as Socceroos head. The 52-year-old’s reputation for discipline differs greatly with the open and at times cheerful figure holding court for over an hour in what have become semi-regular discussions with football media. Likewise have the results of his team progressed, with memories of a setback to Bahrain and tie with Indonesia feeling fairly remote after wins over Japan and Saudi Arabia in June booked the Socceroos’ place in next year’s global tournament.

Those wins came as part of an 11-game winning streak under Popovic, one that was only broken 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 outcomes of November friendlies 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.

Even though Popovic admits that he began in the job expecting to only be able to count on a key players of players, he now thinks the pool he can call upon has grown. This isn’t just through the emergence of young players such as Nestory Irankunda, Max Balard, or Mohamed Touré as authentic international players. There are also the likes of Miloš Degenek’s reappearance from the sidelines and Paul Izzo’s development into a genuine Socceroos keeper with the potential to compete with Maty Ryan.

“The squad has totally changed in my mind – of what’s attainable with players that have joined,” Popovic says. “I first thought, ‘OK, this is my group; I don’t fully have much beyond 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 more to come that I trust can help make us better as a squad at the World Cup.”

This unexpected emergence of talent, and the change in outlook it has sparked in Popovic, has paved the way for players on the fringes of the squad. Even those not yet regarded amongst those circle can keep faith that, come 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 regularly, then the coach is emphasizing they’re every chance of being part of his plans.

“I don’t want to put a restriction or a end 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 believe that they have an opportunity. Why can’t there be an additional player that steps up in June?”

But this growth, in a way, brings us back to Popovic’s first address as Socceroos head coach. For just as much as he wants players to surprise him, to do something special and rise above the predictions 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 confine ourselves into ‘let’s be participants at the World Cup, and let’s go home and pat each other on the back for being there’.

“I keep saying 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 watching and applauding something remarkable from the Socceroos? Why should we have boundaries? Why not do it now?”