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When Tony Popovic eventually gathered his maiden Socceroos squad, the fresh coach detailed a range of requirements. A lot were clear and direct – suitable in light of the disruption following his abrupt arrival, following Graham Arnold’s resignation, and with less than three weeks to make arrangements for crucial 2026 World Cup fixtures against China and Japan.

Popovic maintained that any player who hoped to pull on a Socceroos shirt would need to embrace an “top-tier” mindset to earn, or keep that distinction. But there was an additional point. More an inspiration and more an evocation – and one that has been brought clearer into perspective with each step taken on the journey towards the World Cup in North America.

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

Just over a year on from that team talk in an Adelaide hotel, plenty of other things have evolved, even if Popovic’s expectations are the same. The coach, for one, looks genuinely comfortable as Socceroos boss. The 52-year-old’s reputation for strictness sharply contrasts with the expansive and at times cheerful figure engaging openly for over an hour in what have become frequent sit-downs with football media. Likewise have the performances of his team progressed, with memories of a loss to Bahrain and stalemate with Indonesia feeling fairly far off after victories over Japan and Saudi Arabia in June guaranteed the Socceroos’ spot in next year’s global tournament.

Those wins 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 edge of entering pot two in the World Cup draw. The outcomes of November warm-up matches 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 respect.

Even though Popovic admits that he started in the job assuming to only be able to depend on a key players of players, he now thinks the group he can call upon has swelled. This is not only through the breakthrough of young players such as Nestory Irankunda, Max Balard, or Mohamed Touré as genuine international players. There are also the examples of Miloš Degenek’s comeback from the obscurity and Paul Izzo’s development into a bona fide Socceroos keeper with the potential to challenge Maty Ryan.

“The squad has totally changed in my mind – of what’s achievable with players that have come in,” Popovic says. “I first thought, ‘OK, this is my group; I don’t really have much outside of 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 more to come that I trust can help make us better as a squad at the World Cup.”

This surprising rise of talent, and the change in mindset it has brought about in Popovic, has created opportunities for players on the edges of the squad. Even those not yet considered among those group can keep faith 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 – persists to perform consistently, then the coach is making clear they’re highly likely of being part of his plans.

“I don’t want to put a cap or a halt on that – to declare 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 possibility. Why can’t there be another player that comes in in June?”

But this broadening, in a way, returns us to Popovic’s introductory talk as Socceroos head coach. For just as much as he wants players to surprise him, to do something special and go beyond the expectations others have for them, he wants his team to have the same philosophy.

“Saying I want to do something special is just ‘we don’t want to have limits’,” Popovic says. “We don’t want to pigeonhole ourselves into ‘let’s be contenders 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 watching and praising something exceptional from the Socceroos? Why should we have restrictions? Why not do it now?”