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The moment Tony Popovic eventually assembled his first Socceroos squad, the fresh coach detailed a range of expectations. Most were unambiguous and concise – suitable considering the disruption surrounding his abrupt arrival, in the wake of Graham Arnold’s exit, and with less than three weeks to prepare for vital 2026 World Cup fixtures against China and Japan.

Popovic insisted that any player who hoped to wear a Socceroos shirt would need to adopt an “elite” mindset to secure, or keep that honour. But there was an additional point. More an inspiration and an invitation to excel – and one that has been thrown sharper into perspective with any step taken on the journey towards the World Cup in North America.

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

Just over a year on from that team talk in an Adelaide hotel, many of other things have shifted, even if Popovic’s expectations remain the same. The coach, for one, looks genuinely comfortable as Socceroos boss. The 52-year-old’s reputation for austerity differs greatly with the approachable and at times light-hearted figure speaking freely for over an hour in what have become periodic discussions with football media. Likewise have the results of his team improved, with recollections of a defeat to Bahrain and draw with Indonesia seeming fairly remote after successes over Japan and Saudi Arabia in June secured the Socceroos’ berth in next year’s global tournament.

Those wins 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 unlikely edge of entering pot two in the World Cup draw. The outcomes of November warm-up matches against Venezuela, at the moment 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 – loom large in this context.

While Popovic acknowledges that he started in the job expecting to only be able to count on a key players of players, he now believes the pool he can rely on has grown. This is not only through the breakthrough of talented youth such as Nestory Irankunda, Max Balard, or Mohamed Touré as authentic international players. There are also the cases of Miloš Degenek’s comeback from the sidelines and Paul Izzo’s development into a genuine Socceroos keeper with the ability to challenge Maty Ryan.

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

This unexpected rise of talent, and the transformation in mindset it has brought about in Popovic, has paved the way for players on the fringes of the squad. Even those not yet viewed among those ranks can hold out hope that, by June next year, they could be on the plane. A player like Adrian Segečić might be about to sit out a month of playing due to an ankle injury, but if he – or any other player – continues to play steadily, 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 reveal 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 chance. Why can’t there be one more player that comes in in June?”

But this broadening, in a way, brings us back to Popovic’s introductory speech 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 philosophy.

“Saying I want to do something unique is just ‘we don’t want to have boundaries’,” Popovic says. “We don’t want to confine ourselves into ‘let’s be participants 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 cheering something exceptional from the Socceroos? Why should we have limits? Why not do it now?”