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When Tony Popovic finally gathered his maiden Socceroos squad, the fresh coach detailed a set of standards. A lot were clear and concise – perfect in light of the upheaval following his unexpected appointment, in the wake of Graham Arnold’s departure, and with under three weeks to make arrangements for vital 2026 World Cup qualifiers against China and Japan.

Popovic asserted that any player who aspired to wear a Socceroos shirt would need to take on an “elite” attitude to secure, or keep that privilege. But there was a further message. More an inspiration and a call to greatness – and one that has been thrown sharper into focus with each step taken on the road towards the World Cup in North America.

“My hopes were to do something remarkable, in my introductory talk to the players,” Popovic says. “That hasn’t changed.”

Approximately a year on from that meeting in an Adelaide hotel, plenty of other things have shifted, even if Popovic’s ambitions remain the same. The coach, for one, seems genuinely settled as Socceroos boss. The 52-year-old’s reputation for strictness stands in stark contrast with the approachable and at times light-hearted figure engaging openly for over an hour in what have become periodic interviews with football media. Likewise have the fortunes of his team progressed, with recollections of a loss to Bahrain and draw with Indonesia appearing quite distant after victories over Japan and Saudi Arabia in June secured the Socceroos’ place in next year’s international tournament.

Those wins came as part of an 11-game undefeated streak under Popovic, one that was only ended away by the United States earlier this month. It’s form that has taken the Socceroos to the unlikely edge of breaking into pot two in the World Cup draw. The outcomes of November friendlies 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 final games of European qualifying – loom large in this context.

Although Popovic concedes that he began in the job assuming to only be able to rely on a core group of players, he now feels the pool he can call upon has grown. This isn’t just through the breakthrough of youngsters such as Nestory Irankunda, Max Balard, or Mohamed Touré as authentic international players. There are also the cases of Miloš Degenek’s return from the obscurity and Paul Izzo’s blossoming into a bona fide Socceroos keeper with the potential to push Maty Ryan.

“The squad has completely changed in my mind – of what’s attainable 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 manage and make them better.’ Now, I feel like there are 15, 20 players that have come into that, and I’m certain there are more to come that I believe can help make us better as a squad at the World Cup.”

This unforeseen appearance of talent, and the transformation in outlook it has sparked in Popovic, has paved the way for players on the periphery of the squad. Even those not yet viewed among those circle can hold out hope 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 play 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 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 know that they have an chance. Why can’t there be one more player that comes in 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 impress him, to do something remarkable and go beyond the expectations 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 limits’,” Popovic says. “We don’t want to confine ourselves into ‘let’s be participants at the World Cup, and let’s go home and congratulate ourselves for being there’.

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