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The moment Tony Popovic at last assembled his first Socceroos squad, the recently appointed coach detailed a set of requirements. A lot were straightforward and to the point – perfect given the turmoil surrounding his abrupt appointment, following Graham Arnold’s exit, and with fewer than three weeks to prepare for vital 2026 World Cup qualifiers against China and Japan.

Popovic asserted that any player who aspired to represent in a Socceroos shirt would need to adopt an “premier” mindset to earn, or continue to earn that honour. But there was a further theme. More an inspiration and an invitation to excel – and one that has been brought sharper into focus with each step taken on the journey towards the World Cup in North America.

“My expectations were to do something extraordinary, in my initial 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 ambitions are the same. The coach, for one, looks really comfortable as Socceroos boss. The 52-year-old’s image for strictness stands in stark contrast with the open and at times cheerful figure speaking freely for over an hour in what have become frequent discussions with football media. Similarly have the results of his team progressed, with recollections of a setback to Bahrain and stalemate with Indonesia appearing fairly far off after victories over Japan and Saudi Arabia in June guaranteed the Socceroos’ berth in next year’s global tournament.

Those triumphs came as part of an 11-game winning streak under Popovic, one that was only broken 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 outcomes of November exhibition games against Venezuela, currently 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 – are significant in this context.

While Popovic admits that he began in the job thinking to only be able to depend on a core group of players, he now believes the group he can rely on has swelled. This isn’t just through the emergence 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 wilderness and Paul Izzo’s development into a true Socceroos keeper with the capability to compete with 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 feel like there are 15, 20 players that have entered that, and I’m convinced there are additional ones to come that I trust can help make us better as a squad at the World Cup.”

This surprising appearance of talent, and the change in thinking 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 keep faith that, come June next year, they could be on the roster. 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 – persists to deliver regularly, 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 restriction or a halt on that – to declare in March that this is our squad, and there may be one or two more additions,” Popovic says. “No, I want every player to know that they have an chance. Why can’t there be one more player that joins in June?”

But this expansion, in a way, returns us to Popovic’s first speech as Socceroos head coach. For just as much as he wants players to surprise him, to do something outstanding and go beyond the expectations 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 restrictions’,” Popovic says. “We don’t want to pigeonhole 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 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 watching and applauding something remarkable from the Socceroos? Why should we have limits? Why not do it now?”