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When Tony Popovic eventually brought together his initial Socceroos squad, the recently appointed coach outlined a series of expectations. Most were straightforward and direct – perfect given the upheaval following his sudden arrival, after Graham Arnold’s resignation, and with fewer than three weeks to get ready for vital 2026 World Cup qualifiers against China and Japan.

Popovic insisted that any player who hoped to pull on a Socceroos shirt would need to adopt an “elite” attitude to secure, or continue to earn that honour. But there was a further point. More an inspiration and an invitation to excel – and one that has been cast clearer into focus with every step taken on the journey towards the World Cup in North America.

“My hopes were to do something extraordinary, in my first talk to the players,” Popovic says. “That stays constant.”

Just over a year on from that gathering in an Adelaide hotel, many of other things have changed, even if Popovic’s ambitions remain the same. The coach, for one, appears really settled as Socceroos head. The 52-year-old’s reputation for discipline 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 changed, with memories of a setback to Bahrain and draw with Indonesia feeling quite distant after successes over Japan and Saudi Arabia in June secured the Socceroos’ place in next year’s international tournament.

Those triumphs 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 momentum that has taken the Socceroos to the unexpected edge of crashing 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 last games of European qualifying – are significant in this regard.

While Popovic concedes that he arrived in the job thinking to only be able to count on a main squad of players, he now feels the group he can call upon has swelled. This is not only through the rise of talented youth such as Nestory Irankunda, Max Balard, or Mohamed Touré as genuine international players. There are also the likes of Miloš Degenek’s return from the wilderness and Paul Izzo’s growth into a bona fide Socceroos keeper with the potential to challenge Maty Ryan.

“The squad has entirely changed in my mind – of what’s possible 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 get by and make them better.’ Now, I think like there are 15, 20 players that have joined 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 emergence of talent, and the shift in thinking it has inspired in Popovic, has created opportunities for players on the edges of the squad. Even those not yet viewed among those circle can remain optimistic that, by June next year, they could be on the flight. A player like Adrian Segečić might be about to be absent for a month of playing due to an ankle injury, but if he – or any other player – continues to play consistently, then the coach is emphasizing they’re highly likely of being part of his plans.

“I don’t want to put a cap or a stop on that – to declare 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 believe that they have an possibility. Why can’t there be an additional player that joins in June?”

But this growth, in a way, leads back to Popovic’s initial address as Socceroos head coach. For just as much as he wants players to exceed expectations him, to do something special and go beyond 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 limits’,” Popovic says. “We don’t want to box 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 watching and cheering something remarkable from the Socceroos? Why should we have limits? Why not do it now?”