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When Tony Popovic at last brought together his initial Socceroos squad, the fresh coach presented a series of standards. A lot were unambiguous and concise – perfect given the disruption around his unexpected arrival, in the wake of Graham Arnold’s exit, and with fewer than three weeks to make arrangements for critical 2026 World Cup fixtures against China and Japan.

Popovic maintained that any player who aspired to wear a Socceroos shirt would need to embrace an “premier” mentality to secure, or maintain that privilege. But there was a further message. More an inspiration and a call to greatness – and one that has been thrown clearer into view with each step taken on the journey towards the World Cup in North America.

“My expectations were to do something special, in my introductory talk to the players,” Popovic says. “That hasn’t changed.”

Just over a year on from that team talk in an Adelaide hotel, a lot of other things have shifted, even if Popovic’s expectations are the same. The coach, for one, looks genuinely at home as Socceroos head. The 52-year-old’s reputation for strictness sharply contrasts with the open and at times jovial figure speaking freely for over an hour in what have become frequent sit-downs with football media. Similarly have the results of his team improved, with recollections of a defeat to Bahrain and stalemate with Indonesia feeling rather remote after wins over Japan and Saudi Arabia in June booked the Socceroos’ spot in next year’s worldwide tournament.

Those triumphs came as part of an 11-game winning streak under Popovic, one that was only ended away by the United States earlier this month. It’s form that has taken the Socceroos to the surprising brink of breaking into pot two in the World Cup draw. The results of November exhibition games 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 final games of European qualifying – are significant in this context.

While Popovic concedes that he started in the job expecting to only be able to count on a core group of players, he now believes the group he can trust has grown. This is not only through the emergence of youngsters such as Nestory Irankunda, Max Balard, or Mohamed Touré as real international players. There are also the examples of Miloš Degenek’s comeback from the wilderness and Paul Izzo’s blossoming into a true Socceroos keeper with the capability 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 truly have much beyond this. Just get by and make them better.’ Now, I think like there are 15, 20 players that have entered that, and I’m certain there are more to come that I feel can help make us better as a squad at the World Cup.”

This unforeseen rise of talent, and the shift in mindset it has brought about in Popovic, has opened the door for players on the periphery of the squad. Even those not yet viewed within 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 sit out a month of playing due to an ankle injury, but if he – or any other player – continues to deliver regularly, then the coach is making clear they’re highly likely of being part of his plans.

“I don’t want to put a restriction or a halt on that – to reveal in March that this is our squad, and there may be one or two more additions,” Popovic says. “No, I want every player to believe that they have an possibility. Why can’t there be one more player that joins in June?”

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

“I repeat it to the group: one day, Australia will go very far in the World Cup. And why not this group? Why do we have to wait two or three World Cups, when I’m observing and applauding something exceptional from the Socceroos? Why should we have boundaries? Why not do it now?”