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When Tony Popovic at last gathered his maiden Socceroos squad, the fresh coach outlined a set of standards. The majority were clear and direct – ideal in light of the turmoil around his sudden appointment, after Graham Arnold’s departure, and with under three weeks to make arrangements for vital 2026 World Cup fixtures against China and Japan.

Popovic asserted that any player who aimed to pull on a Socceroos shirt would need to embrace an “top-tier” mindset to deserve, or maintain that privilege. But there was another point. More an inspiration and an invitation to excel – and one that has been brought clearer into perspective with any step taken on the road towards the World Cup in North America.

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

Just over a year on from that gathering in an Adelaide hotel, a lot of other things have changed, even if Popovic’s ambitions are the same. The coach, for one, appears truly settled as Socceroos head. The 52-year-old’s standing for discipline stands in stark contrast with the expansive and at times cheerful figure speaking freely for over an hour in what have become periodic interviews with football media. So too have the performances of his team improved, with memories of a loss to Bahrain and draw with Indonesia appearing fairly distant after victories over Japan and Saudi Arabia in June guaranteed the Socceroos’ berth in next year’s international 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 performance that has taken the Socceroos to the unlikely precipice of breaking into pot two in the World Cup draw. The outcomes of November exhibition games against Venezuela, at the moment 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 – are significant in this respect.

Although Popovic admits that he started in the job expecting to only be able to count on a core group of players, he now believes the selection he can trust has swelled. This is not only through the rise of young players such as Nestory Irankunda, Max Balard, or Mohamed Touré as genuine international players. There are also the cases of Miloš Degenek’s return from the obscurity and Paul Izzo’s growth into a genuine Socceroos keeper with the capability to compete with Maty Ryan.

“The squad has completely 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 truly have much outside of 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 feel can help make us better as a squad at the World Cup.”

This unexpected rise of talent, and the transformation in thinking it has sparked in Popovic, has created opportunities for players on the periphery of the squad. Even those not yet considered amongst those group can remain optimistic that, by 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 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 announce 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 opportunity. Why can’t there be an additional player that comes in in June?”

But this expansion, in a way, leads back to Popovic’s first talk as Socceroos head coach. For just as much as he wants players to exceed expectations him, to do something outstanding and go beyond the expectations others have for them, he wants his team to have the same attitude.

“Saying I want to do something unique is just ‘we don’t want to have limits’,” Popovic says. “We don’t want to confine 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 sitting back and praising something remarkable from the Socceroos? Why should we have limits? Why not do it now?”