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As soon as Tony Popovic eventually assembled his first Socceroos squad, the recently appointed coach presented a set of expectations. A lot were straightforward and direct – suitable given the upheaval following his sudden arrival, in the wake of Graham Arnold’s resignation, and with less than three weeks to make arrangements for vital 2026 World Cup fixtures against China and Japan.

Popovic maintained that any player who aspired to pull on a Socceroos shirt would need to take on an “elite” mentality to earn, or continue to earn that distinction. But there was a further point. More an inspiration and an invitation to excel – and one that has been cast sharper into view with every step taken on the journey towards the World Cup in North America.

“My expectations were to do something remarkable, in my introductory talk to the players,” Popovic says. “That stays constant.”

A little more than a year on from that meeting in an Adelaide hotel, plenty of other things have evolved, even if Popovic’s goals are the same. The coach, for one, looks truly comfortable as Socceroos boss. The 52-year-old’s standing for discipline sharply contrasts with the expansive and at times light-hearted figure engaging openly for over an hour in what have become semi-regular discussions with football media. Similarly have the fortunes of his team changed, with recollections of a setback to Bahrain and tie with Indonesia feeling quite far off after wins over Japan and Saudi Arabia in June secured the Socceroos’ berth in next year’s global tournament.

Those triumphs came as part of an 11-game undefeated streak under Popovic, one that was only snapped away by the United States earlier this month. It’s momentum that has taken the Socceroos to the unexpected edge of crashing pot two in the World Cup draw. The results 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 remaining games of European qualifying – loom large in this regard.

While Popovic admits that he began in the job assuming to only be able to count on a core group of players, he now believes the selection he can rely on has swelled. This doesn't only come through the emergence of talented youth such as Nestory Irankunda, Max Balard, or Mohamed Touré as real international players. There are also the cases of Miloš Degenek’s return from the obscurity and Paul Izzo’s growth into a true Socceroos keeper with the potential to challenge 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 think like there are 15, 20 players that have joined that, and I’m convinced there are others to come that I feel can help make us better as a squad at the World Cup.”

This unforeseen emergence of talent, and the transformation in thinking it has brought about in Popovic, has paved the way for players on the fringes of the squad. Even those not yet considered among those circle can hold out hope that, in 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 – continues to deliver steadily, then the coach is stating plainly 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 new faces,” Popovic says. “No, I want every player to know that they have an opportunity. Why can’t there be one more player that joins in June?”

But this expansion, in a way, brings us back to Popovic’s introductory address as Socceroos head coach. For just as much as he wants players to exceed expectations him, to do something remarkable and rise above the predictions others have for them, he wants his team to have the same mindset.

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