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The moment Tony Popovic at last assembled his first Socceroos squad, the recently appointed coach presented a series of standards. A lot were clear and direct – suitable considering the turmoil surrounding his unexpected entry, after Graham Arnold’s resignation, and with less than three weeks to get ready for critical 2026 World Cup fixtures against China and Japan.

Popovic asserted that any player who aspired to wear a Socceroos shirt would need to embrace an “top-tier” attitude to deserve, or continue to earn that distinction. But there was another point. More an inspiration and more an evocation – and one that has been brought sharper into perspective with every step taken on the journey 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.”

A little more than a year on from that gathering in an Adelaide hotel, plenty of other things have changed, even if Popovic’s expectations stay the same. The coach, for one, appears truly comfortable as Socceroos head. The 52-year-old’s reputation for discipline sharply contrasts with the expansive and at times jovial figure speaking freely for over an hour in what have become periodic discussions with football media. So too have the results of his team progressed, with recollections of a loss to Bahrain and tie with Indonesia seeming quite remote after victories over Japan and Saudi Arabia in June booked the Socceroos’ berth in next year’s global 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 unlikely edge of entering pot two in the World Cup draw. The performances of November friendlies against Venezuela, currently 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.

Even though Popovic acknowledges that he arrived in the job expecting to only be able to rely on a main squad of players, he now feels the group he can trust has grown. This isn’t just through the rise 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 comeback from the sidelines and Paul Izzo’s development into a genuine Socceroos keeper with the potential to push Maty Ryan.

“The squad has totally 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 truly have much apart from this. Just make it work and make them better.’ Now, I feel 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 appearance of talent, and the transformation in outlook it has sparked in Popovic, has opened the door for players on the edges of the squad. Even those not yet considered among 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 – persists to play 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 reveal in March that this is our squad, and there may be one or two more new faces,” Popovic says. “No, I want every player to know that they have an possibility. Why can’t there be another player that steps up in June?”

But this broadening, in a way, leads back to Popovic’s introductory speech 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 exceptional 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 pat each other on the back 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 watching and applauding something special from the Socceroos? Why should we have limits? Why not do it now?”