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The moment Tony Popovic finally assembled his first Socceroos squad, the fresh coach presented a set of standards. Most were unambiguous and to the point – ideal considering the upheaval around his sudden appointment, in the wake of Graham Arnold’s departure, and with under three weeks to prepare for vital 2026 World Cup qualifiers against China and Japan.

Popovic insisted that any player who hoped to wear a Socceroos shirt would need to take on an “top-tier” mentality to secure, or keep that honour. But there was a further point. Less a demand and more an evocation – and one that has been cast more distinctly into view with each 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 hasn’t changed.”

A little more than a year on from that meeting in an Adelaide hotel, plenty of other things have shifted, even if Popovic’s goals remain the same. The coach, for one, seems really settled as Socceroos manager. The 52-year-old’s reputation for austerity sharply contrasts with the approachable and at times jovial figure holding court for over an hour in what have become periodic discussions with football media. Likewise have the performances of his team progressed, with thoughts of a defeat to Bahrain and tie with Indonesia appearing quite remote after wins over Japan and Saudi Arabia in June secured the Socceroos’ spot in next year’s global tournament.

Those victories came as part of an 11-game unbeaten run 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 precipice of crashing pot two in the World Cup draw. The outcomes of November exhibition games 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 final games of European qualifying – loom large in this regard.

While Popovic acknowledges that he began in the job assuming to only be able to rely on a key players of players, he now believes the group he can call upon has grown. 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 return 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 entered,” Popovic says. “I first thought, ‘OK, this is my group; I don’t fully have much beyond this. Just make it work and make them better.’ Now, I feel like there are 15, 20 players that have joined that, and I’m convinced there are additional ones to come that I trust can help make us better as a squad at the World Cup.”

This unforeseen rise of talent, and the transformation in thinking it has brought about in Popovic, has paved the way for players on the periphery of the squad. Even those not yet viewed among those group can remain optimistic that, by 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 – persists to perform regularly, 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 cap or a end 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 chance. Why can’t there be another player that comes in in June?”

But this expansion, in a way, leads back to Popovic’s first talk as Socceroos head coach. For just as much as he wants players to exceed expectations him, to do something outstanding and exceed the hopes others have for them, he wants his team to have the same attitude.

“Saying I want to do something unique is just ‘we don’t want to have boundaries’,” 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 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 remarkable from the Socceroos? Why should we have limits? Why not do it now?”