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As soon as Tony Popovic eventually gathered his initial Socceroos squad, the new coach presented a series of standards. Most were clear and to the point – ideal considering the upheaval following his abrupt entry, after Graham Arnold’s exit, and with less than three weeks to prepare for vital 2026 World Cup qualifying matches against China and Japan.

Popovic maintained that any player who aimed to pull on a Socceroos shirt would need to adopt an “premier” attitude to secure, or maintain that honour. But there was another theme. Less a demand and more an evocation – and one that has been thrown sharper into perspective with each step taken on the journey towards the World Cup in North America.

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

Approximately a year on from that meeting in an Adelaide hotel, a lot of other things have evolved, even if Popovic’s expectations are the same. The coach, for one, appears truly comfortable as Socceroos boss. The 52-year-old’s image for strictness stands in stark contrast with the expansive and at times light-hearted figure speaking freely for over an hour in what have become periodic sit-downs with football media. So too have the performances of his team changed, with recollections of a setback to Bahrain and stalemate with Indonesia appearing fairly remote after wins over Japan and Saudi Arabia in June booked 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 ended away by the United States earlier this month. It’s performance that has taken the Socceroos to the unexpected brink of entering pot two in the World Cup draw. The outcomes of November warm-up matches against Venezuela, currently positioned 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 context.

While Popovic acknowledges that he began in the job expecting to only be able to rely on a main squad of players, he now thinks the pool he can trust has swelled. This is not only through the emergence of young players such as Nestory Irankunda, Max Balard, or Mohamed Touré as authentic international players. There are also the cases of Miloš Degenek’s reappearance from the sidelines and Paul Izzo’s development into a true Socceroos keeper with the potential to compete with Maty Ryan.

“The squad has totally changed in my mind – of what’s possible with players that have come in,” Popovic says. “I first thought, ‘OK, this is my group; I don’t truly have much outside of this. Just manage and make them better.’ Now, I believe like there are 15, 20 players that have come into that, and I’m certain there are additional ones to come that I trust can help make us better as a squad at the World Cup.”

This unexpected appearance of talent, and the change in mindset it has brought about in Popovic, has opened the door for players on the periphery 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 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 – persists to deliver steadily, then the coach is stating plainly they’re in with a shot 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 inclusions,” Popovic says. “No, I want every player to know that they have an opportunity. Why can’t there be another player that steps up in June?”

But this broadening, in a way, returns us to Popovic’s first talk as Socceroos head coach. For just as much as he wants players to impress him, to do something outstanding and exceed 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 restrictions’,” Popovic says. “We don’t want to confine ourselves into ‘let’s be contenders at the World Cup, and let’s go home and congratulate ourselves for being there’.

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