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As soon as Tony Popovic finally brought together his first Socceroos squad, the fresh coach outlined a range of requirements. A lot were clear and to the point – perfect considering the disruption surrounding his unexpected arrival, after Graham Arnold’s exit, and with under three weeks to prepare for vital 2026 World Cup fixtures against China and Japan.

Popovic insisted that any player who hoped to pull on a Socceroos shirt would need to adopt an “elite” attitude to earn, or keep that honour. But there was a further message. Less a demand and an invitation to excel – and one that has been cast more distinctly into perspective with every step taken on the road towards the World Cup in North America.

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

Approximately a year on from that meeting in an Adelaide hotel, many of other things have shifted, even if Popovic’s goals are the same. The coach, for one, appears truly at home as Socceroos manager. The 52-year-old’s reputation for austerity sharply contrasts with the open and at times cheerful figure holding court for over an hour in what have become frequent sit-downs with football media. So too have the results of his team changed, with thoughts of a defeat to Bahrain and stalemate with Indonesia feeling fairly distant after victories over Japan and Saudi Arabia in June guaranteed the Socceroos’ spot in next year’s global tournament.

Those wins came as part of an 11-game winning streak under Popovic, one that was only snapped away by the United States earlier this month. It’s form that has taken the Socceroos to the unlikely brink of breaking into pot two in the World Cup draw. The outcomes of November warm-up matches against Venezuela, currently ranked 50th in the world, and 13th-ranked Colombia – as well as Ecuador’s games against Canada and New Zealand, and the remaining games of European qualifying – loom large in this context.

While Popovic acknowledges that he arrived in the job thinking to only be able to rely on a main squad of players, he now thinks the group he can call upon has grown. This isn’t just through the emergence 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 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 achievable with players that have come in,” Popovic says. “I first thought, ‘OK, this is my group; I don’t truly have much beyond this. Just get by and make them better.’ Now, I think like there are 15, 20 players that have entered that, and I’m certain there are additional ones to come that I feel can help make us better as a squad at the World Cup.”

This surprising emergence of talent, and the change in thinking it has brought about in Popovic, has created opportunities for players on the edges of the squad. Even those not yet considered among those ranks can hold out hope 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 – persists to deliver consistently, then the coach is stating plainly they’re in with a shot 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 additions,” Popovic says. “No, I want every player to feel that they have an possibility. Why can’t there be an additional player that joins in June?”

But this growth, 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 restrictions’,” Popovic says. “We don’t want to confine 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 observing and applauding something exceptional from the Socceroos? Why should we have boundaries? Why not do it now?”