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When Tony Popovic eventually brought together his first Socceroos squad, the fresh coach presented a set of standards. Most were unambiguous and to the point – ideal considering the upheaval surrounding his abrupt appointment, after Graham Arnold’s exit, and with under three weeks to get ready for crucial 2026 World Cup qualifiers against China and Japan.

Popovic insisted that any player who hoped to wear a Socceroos shirt would need to embrace an “top-tier” mentality to earn, or continue to earn that privilege. But there was another message. Less a demand and more an evocation – and one that has been brought more distinctly into view with any step taken on the journey towards the World Cup in North America.

“My hopes were to do something remarkable, in my first talk to the players,” Popovic says. “That stays constant.”

A little more than a year on from that meeting in an Adelaide hotel, many of other things have evolved, even if Popovic’s goals are the same. The coach, for one, seems truly comfortable as Socceroos head. The 52-year-old’s image for austerity stands in stark contrast with the approachable and at times light-hearted figure holding court for over an hour in what have become semi-regular interviews with football media. Similarly have the results of his team improved, with recollections of a loss to Bahrain and tie with Indonesia appearing rather remote after victories over Japan and Saudi Arabia in June guaranteed the Socceroos’ spot in next year’s international 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 performance that has taken the Socceroos to the unlikely edge of entering pot two in the World Cup draw. The outcomes of November friendlies against Venezuela, presently placed 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 regard.

While Popovic acknowledges that he began in the job expecting to only be able to rely on a key players of players, he now thinks the pool he can rely on has expanded. This doesn't only come through the rise of talented youth such as Nestory Irankunda, Max Balard, or Mohamed Touré as authentic international players. There are also the examples of Miloš Degenek’s reappearance from the wilderness and Paul Izzo’s blossoming into a true Socceroos keeper with the potential to push Maty Ryan.

“The squad has completely changed in my mind – of what’s achievable 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 get by and make them better.’ Now, I believe like there are 15, 20 players that have entered that, and I’m convinced there are others to come that I believe can help make us better as a squad at the World Cup.”

This unforeseen emergence of talent, and the shift in thinking it has inspired in Popovic, has created opportunities for players on the periphery of the squad. Even those not yet regarded among those circle can keep faith that, in June next year, they could be on the plane. 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 deliver steadily, then the coach is emphasizing they’re in with a shot of being part of his plans.

“I don’t want to put a limit 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 know that they have an opportunity. Why can’t there be an additional player that joins in June?”

But this growth, in a way, brings us back 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 rise above the predictions others have for them, he wants his team to have the same attitude.

“Saying I want to do something special is just ‘we don’t want to have boundaries’,” Popovic says. “We don’t want to confine ourselves into ‘let’s be competitors at the World Cup, and let’s go home and pat each other on the back for being there’.

“I repeat it to the group: one day, Australia will go deep 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 exceptional from the Socceroos? Why should we have boundaries? Why not do it now?”