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The moment Tony Popovic eventually gathered his maiden Socceroos squad, the recently appointed coach presented a range of requirements. The majority were unambiguous and direct – suitable considering the upheaval around his unexpected 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 maintained that any player who aspired to wear a Socceroos shirt would need to adopt an “elite” mentality to earn, or continue to earn that distinction. But there was a further point. Not so much an order and more an evocation – and one that has been brought sharper into perspective with each step taken on the journey towards the World Cup in North America.

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

A little more than 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, appears genuinely comfortable as Socceroos manager. The 52-year-old’s reputation for discipline differs greatly with the expansive and at times light-hearted figure speaking freely for over an hour in what have become frequent sit-downs with football media. Similarly have the results of his team improved, with memories of a loss to Bahrain and draw with Indonesia seeming quite remote after wins over Japan and Saudi Arabia in June booked the Socceroos’ place in next year’s global 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 unexpected precipice of entering pot two in the World Cup draw. The performances of November warm-up matches 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 last games of European qualifying – are significant in this regard.

Even though Popovic concedes that he began in the job assuming to only be able to count on a key players of players, he now believes the group he can rely on has expanded. This doesn't only come through the rise of youngsters such as Nestory Irankunda, Max Balard, or Mohamed Touré as authentic international players. There are also the likes of Miloš Degenek’s comeback from the obscurity and Paul Izzo’s development into a true Socceroos keeper with the capability to challenge Maty Ryan.

“The squad has completely changed in my mind – of what’s possible with players that have joined,” Popovic says. “I first thought, ‘OK, this is my group; I don’t fully have much apart from this. Just make it work and make them better.’ Now, I think like there are 15, 20 players that have joined that, and I’m sure 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 shift in thinking it has brought about in Popovic, has created opportunities for players on the fringes of the squad. Even those not yet considered amongst those circle can hold out hope that, by June next year, they could be on the roster. A player like Adrian Segečić might be about to be absent for a month of playing due to an ankle injury, but if he – or any other player – persists to play steadily, then the coach is making clear they’re highly likely of being part of his plans.

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

But this growth, in a way, leads back to Popovic’s initial talk as Socceroos head coach. For just as much as he wants players to exceed expectations him, to do something outstanding and go beyond 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 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 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 limits? Why not do it now?”