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As soon as Tony Popovic finally gathered his maiden Socceroos squad, the new coach presented a range of requirements. The majority were unambiguous and to the point – perfect considering the disruption following his sudden entry, after Graham Arnold’s exit, and with under three weeks to prepare for critical 2026 World Cup fixtures against China and Japan.

Popovic insisted that any player who aspired to represent in a Socceroos shirt would need to take on an “premier” mindset to earn, or maintain that honour. But there was a further point. Less a demand and more an evocation – and one that has been brought more distinctly into focus with each step taken on the path towards the World Cup in North America.

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

Just over a year on from that team talk in an Adelaide hotel, plenty of other things have shifted, even if Popovic’s expectations remain the same. The coach, for one, appears really settled as Socceroos head. The 52-year-old’s image for strictness stands in stark contrast with the open and at times light-hearted figure speaking freely for over an hour in what have become frequent interviews with football media. Likewise have the performances of his team progressed, with memories of a loss to Bahrain and stalemate with Indonesia feeling rather far off after wins over Japan and Saudi Arabia in June secured the Socceroos’ berth in next year’s worldwide tournament.

Those triumphs 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 brink of entering pot two in the World Cup draw. The performances of November exhibition games against Venezuela, at the moment positioned 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 – loom large in this respect.

Although Popovic acknowledges that he started in the job assuming to only be able to count on a main squad of players, he now feels the group he can trust has swelled. 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 cases of Miloš Degenek’s reappearance from the obscurity and Paul Izzo’s blossoming into a true Socceroos keeper with the capability to compete with Maty Ryan.

“The squad has totally changed in my mind – of what’s achievable with players that have entered,” Popovic says. “I first thought, ‘OK, this is my group; I don’t really have much apart from this. Just manage and make them better.’ Now, I believe like there are 15, 20 players that have come into 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 surprising rise of talent, and the shift in thinking it has sparked in Popovic, has created opportunities for players on the edges of the squad. Even those not yet considered amongst those ranks can remain optimistic that, come June next year, they could be on the roster. 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 making clear they’re every chance of being part of his plans.

“I don’t want to put a limit or a halt on that – to declare 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, returns us to Popovic’s initial address 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 philosophy.

“Saying I want to do something exceptional is just ‘we don’t want to have restrictions’,” Popovic says. “We don’t want to box ourselves into ‘let’s be competitors at the World Cup, and let’s go home and celebrate for being there’.

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