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The moment Tony Popovic finally brought together his first Socceroos squad, the fresh coach detailed a series of expectations. Most were unambiguous and to the point – suitable considering the turmoil following his sudden appointment, following Graham Arnold’s departure, 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 hoped to represent in a Socceroos shirt would need to adopt an “premier” attitude to deserve, or maintain that honour. But there was a further theme. More an inspiration and more an evocation – and one that has been thrown sharper into view with every step taken on the journey towards the World Cup in North America.

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

Approximately a year on from that team talk in an Adelaide hotel, plenty of other things have shifted, even if Popovic’s expectations are the same. The coach, for one, appears truly at home as Socceroos boss. The 52-year-old’s standing for strictness sharply contrasts with the approachable and at times jovial figure holding court for over an hour in what have become semi-regular discussions with football media. Similarly have the fortunes of his team changed, with thoughts of a setback to Bahrain and tie with Indonesia seeming rather remote after successes over Japan and Saudi Arabia in June booked the Socceroos’ place in next year’s global tournament.

Those triumphs came as part of an 11-game unbeaten run under Popovic, one that was only ended away by the United States earlier this month. It’s momentum that has taken the Socceroos to the unlikely precipice of breaking into pot two in the World Cup draw. The results of November exhibition games 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 remaining games of European qualifying – carry weight in this regard.

While Popovic acknowledges that he arrived in the job expecting to only be able to depend on a main squad of players, he now feels the selection he can rely on has grown. This doesn't only come through the rise of young players such as Nestory Irankunda, Max Balard, or Mohamed Touré as genuine international players. There are also the likes of Miloš Degenek’s return from the sidelines and Paul Izzo’s growth into a true Socceroos keeper with the potential to compete with Maty Ryan.

“The squad has entirely changed in my mind – of what’s attainable with players that have joined,” Popovic says. “I first thought, ‘OK, this is my group; I don’t really have much apart from this. Just get by and make them better.’ Now, I feel like there are 15, 20 players that have entered that, and I’m sure there are others to come that I believe can help make us better as a squad at the World Cup.”

This unforeseen rise of talent, and the change in thinking it has sparked in Popovic, has opened the door for players on the periphery of the squad. Even those not yet considered amongst those ranks can remain optimistic that, in June next year, they could be on the flight. 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 play regularly, then the coach is stating plainly they’re highly likely of being part of his plans.

“I don’t want to put a limit or a end on that – to declare 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 another player that steps up in June?”

But this expansion, in a way, brings us back to Popovic’s first talk as Socceroos head coach. For just as much as he wants players to surprise him, to do something remarkable and exceed the hopes others have for them, he wants his team to have the same attitude.

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