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As soon as Tony Popovic finally gathered his initial Socceroos squad, the fresh coach outlined a series of requirements. A lot were straightforward and to the point – ideal given the disruption following his unexpected arrival, after Graham Arnold’s exit, and with under three weeks to prepare for vital 2026 World Cup qualifiers against China and Japan.

Popovic maintained that any player who aspired to wear a Socceroos shirt would need to adopt an “elite” attitude to secure, or keep that privilege. But there was another point. Not so much an order and more an evocation – and one that has been brought more distinctly into perspective with any step taken on the road towards the World Cup in North America.

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

A little more than a year on from that gathering in an Adelaide hotel, many of other things have shifted, even if Popovic’s expectations are the same. The coach, for one, seems genuinely comfortable as Socceroos manager. The 52-year-old’s reputation for austerity stands in stark contrast with the expansive and at times light-hearted figure engaging openly for over an hour in what have become semi-regular interviews with football media. Similarly have the fortunes of his team improved, with thoughts of a setback to Bahrain and stalemate with Indonesia seeming fairly far off after victories over Japan and Saudi Arabia in June guaranteed the Socceroos’ spot in next year’s international tournament.

Those triumphs came as part of an 11-game winning streak under Popovic, one that was only snapped away by the United States earlier this month. It’s performance that has taken the Socceroos to the unlikely precipice of breaking into pot two in the World Cup draw. The performances of November friendlies against Venezuela, presently 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 – carry weight in this context.

Even though Popovic admits that he started in the job expecting to only be able to depend on a main squad of players, he now thinks the selection he can call upon has expanded. This isn’t just through the breakthrough of young players 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 sidelines 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 attainable with players that have entered,” Popovic says. “I first thought, ‘OK, this is my group; I don’t fully have much apart from this. Just get by and make them better.’ Now, I think like there are 15, 20 players that have entered that, and I’m sure there are additional ones to come that I trust can help make us better as a squad at the World Cup.”

This unforeseen appearance of talent, and the change in outlook it has brought about in Popovic, has paved the way for players on the edges of the squad. Even those not yet regarded among those ranks can hold out hope that, come June next year, they could be on the roster. 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 – persists to deliver regularly, 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 end on that – to reveal 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 chance. Why can’t there be one more player that steps up in June?”

But this growth, in a way, leads back to Popovic’s first speech as Socceroos head coach. For just as much as he wants players to impress him, to do something special and rise above the predictions others have for them, he wants his team to have the same attitude.

“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 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 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 applauding something special from the Socceroos? Why should we have restrictions? Why not do it now?”