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As soon as Tony Popovic eventually gathered his initial Socceroos squad, the new coach detailed a range of standards. A lot were straightforward and concise – perfect in light of the upheaval following his sudden arrival, following Graham Arnold’s resignation, and with under three weeks to prepare for vital 2026 World Cup qualifiers against China and Japan.

Popovic asserted that any player who aspired to pull on a Socceroos shirt would need to take on an “elite” attitude to earn, or continue to earn that distinction. But there was a further message. Less a demand and an invitation to excel – and one that has been brought more distinctly into view with any step taken on the journey towards the World Cup in North America.

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

Approximately a year on from that meeting in an Adelaide hotel, plenty of other things have evolved, even if Popovic’s ambitions stay the same. The coach, for one, seems genuinely at home as Socceroos boss. The 52-year-old’s reputation for strictness sharply contrasts with the open and at times cheerful figure holding court for over an hour in what have become periodic sit-downs with football media. Likewise have the fortunes of his team improved, with recollections of a setback to Bahrain and tie with Indonesia feeling rather far off after wins over Japan and Saudi Arabia in June guaranteed the Socceroos’ berth in next year’s global tournament.

Those victories came as part of an 11-game unbeaten run under Popovic, one that was only snapped away by the United States earlier this month. It’s form that has taken the Socceroos to the unexpected precipice of crashing pot two in the World Cup draw. The outcomes of November warm-up matches against Venezuela, presently placed 50th in the world, and 13th-ranked Colombia – as well as Ecuador’s games against Canada and New Zealand, and the remaining games of European qualifying – loom large in this respect.

Although Popovic concedes that he began in the job thinking to only be able to count on a core group of players, he now feels the selection he can trust has swelled. This doesn't only come through the rise of youngsters such as Nestory Irankunda, Max Balard, or Mohamed Touré as real international players. There are also the examples of Miloš Degenek’s reappearance from the sidelines and Paul Izzo’s development into a bona fide Socceroos keeper with the capability to compete with Maty Ryan.

“The squad has entirely 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 think like there are 15, 20 players that have entered that, and I’m convinced there are more to come that I believe can help make us better as a squad at the World Cup.”

This surprising appearance of talent, and the transformation in mindset it has sparked in Popovic, has opened the door for players on the edges of the squad. Even those not yet considered among those group can hold out hope that, come June next year, they could be on the plane. 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 making clear they’re every chance of being part of his plans.

“I don’t want to put a restriction or a stop on that – to announce in March that this is our squad, and there may be one or two more inclusions,” Popovic says. “No, I want every player to believe that they have an opportunity. Why can’t there be an additional player that joins in June?”

But this broadening, in a way, brings us back to Popovic’s introductory address as Socceroos head coach. For just as much as he wants players to surprise him, to do something special and rise above the hopes others have for them, he wants his team to have the same philosophy.

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

“I keep saying 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 observing and applauding something exceptional from the Socceroos? Why should we have limits? Why not do it now?”