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As soon as Tony Popovic at last assembled his first Socceroos squad, the recently appointed coach presented a series of standards. Most were clear and to the point – ideal in light of the disruption surrounding his sudden arrival, after Graham Arnold’s exit, and with under three weeks to make arrangements for crucial 2026 World Cup qualifying matches against China and Japan.

Popovic insisted that any player who aimed to represent in a Socceroos shirt would need to embrace an “top-tier” mindset to deserve, or maintain that honour. But there was another message. Not so much an order and a call to greatness – and one that has been brought sharper into view with each step taken on the path towards the World Cup in North America.

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

Approximately a year on from that meeting in an Adelaide hotel, a lot of other things have shifted, even if Popovic’s ambitions stay the same. The coach, for one, appears genuinely at home as Socceroos head. The 52-year-old’s standing for discipline differs greatly with the open and at times light-hearted figure speaking freely for over an hour in what have become semi-regular sit-downs with football media. Similarly have the fortunes of his team improved, with thoughts of a setback to Bahrain and stalemate with Indonesia feeling quite remote after victories over Japan and Saudi Arabia in June booked the Socceroos’ place in next year’s global tournament.

Those victories came as part of an 11-game unbeaten run under Popovic, one that was only snapped away by the United States earlier this month. It’s performance that has taken the Socceroos to the unlikely brink of crashing pot two in the World Cup draw. The results of November friendlies against Venezuela, presently placed 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.

Although Popovic admits that he arrived in the job expecting to only be able to count on a core group of players, he now feels the group he can call upon has swelled. This isn’t just through the breakthrough of talented youth such as Nestory Irankunda, Max Balard, or Mohamed Touré as real international players. There are also the likes of Miloš Degenek’s return from the wilderness and Paul Izzo’s blossoming into a true Socceroos keeper with the ability to challenge 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 truly have much apart from this. Just manage and make them better.’ Now, I think like there are 15, 20 players that have come into that, and I’m certain there are additional ones to come that I trust can help make us better as a squad at the World Cup.”

This unforeseen rise of talent, and the shift in mindset it has inspired in Popovic, has opened the door for players on the fringes of the squad. Even those not yet considered amongst those circle can hold out hope 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 play 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 inclusions,” Popovic says. “No, I want every player to believe that they have an opportunity. Why can’t there be one more player that steps up in June?”

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

“Saying I want to do something exceptional 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 pat each other on the back 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 cheering something exceptional from the Socceroos? Why should we have restrictions? Why not do it now?”