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As soon as Tony Popovic at last gathered his initial Socceroos squad, the fresh coach detailed a range of standards. A lot were straightforward and direct – perfect in light of the turmoil around his abrupt appointment, after Graham Arnold’s departure, and with under three weeks to prepare for vital 2026 World Cup qualifiers against China and Japan.

Popovic maintained that any player who hoped to represent in a Socceroos shirt would need to embrace an “elite” attitude to deserve, or continue to earn that distinction. But there was another theme. Not so much an order and a call to greatness – and one that has been thrown more distinctly into view with every step taken on the journey towards the World Cup in North America.

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

A little more than a year on from that gathering in an Adelaide hotel, plenty of other things have evolved, even if Popovic’s goals remain the same. The coach, for one, appears really at home as Socceroos head. The 52-year-old’s image for discipline stands in stark contrast with the open and at times jovial figure holding court for over an hour in what have become frequent discussions with football media. So too have the performances of his team changed, with memories of a loss to Bahrain and stalemate with Indonesia appearing rather distant after successes over Japan and Saudi Arabia in June booked 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 snapped 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 performances 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 remaining games of European qualifying – carry weight in this respect.

While Popovic acknowledges that he arrived in the job assuming to only be able to count on a core group of players, he now thinks the group he can call upon has grown. This is not only through the emergence of talented youth such as Nestory Irankunda, Max Balard, or Mohamed Touré as authentic international players. There are also the likes of Miloš Degenek’s comeback from the obscurity and Paul Izzo’s growth into a genuine Socceroos keeper with the capability to compete with Maty Ryan.

“The squad has entirely 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 apart from this. Just manage and make them better.’ Now, I believe like there are 15, 20 players that have joined 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 emergence of talent, and the shift in thinking it has sparked in Popovic, has paved the way for players on the periphery of the squad. Even those not yet considered amongst those ranks can keep faith that, come 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 – continues to perform consistently, 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 limit or a stop 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 feel 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 initial speech as Socceroos head coach. For just as much as he wants players to exceed expectations him, to do something remarkable and rise above the predictions 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 restrictions’,” Popovic says. “We don’t want to box ourselves into ‘let’s be competitors at the World Cup, and let’s go home and congratulate ourselves 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 applauding something exceptional from the Socceroos? Why should we have boundaries? Why not do it now?”