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As soon as Tony Popovic at last gathered his first Socceroos squad, the recently appointed coach detailed a range of requirements. Most were straightforward and concise – perfect given the disruption following his abrupt arrival, following Graham Arnold’s exit, and with less than three weeks to make arrangements for critical 2026 World Cup qualifiers against China and Japan.

Popovic insisted that any player who aimed to wear a Socceroos shirt would need to embrace an “elite” mentality to earn, or maintain that honour. But there was a further theme. Less a demand and a call to greatness – and one that has been cast more distinctly into focus with each step taken on the road 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.”

A little more than a year on from that gathering in an Adelaide hotel, a lot of other things have evolved, even if Popovic’s goals stay the same. The coach, for one, appears genuinely at home as Socceroos boss. The 52-year-old’s reputation for austerity sharply contrasts with the expansive and at times light-hearted figure holding court for over an hour in what have become periodic sit-downs with football media. Similarly have the performances of his team changed, with recollections of a loss to Bahrain and stalemate with Indonesia seeming quite far off after victories over Japan and Saudi Arabia in June guaranteed the Socceroos’ place in next year’s worldwide tournament.

Those triumphs came as part of an 11-game winning streak 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 surprising precipice of entering pot two in the World Cup draw. The results of November warm-up matches 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 last games of European qualifying – loom large in this context.

Even though Popovic admits that he started in the job expecting to only be able to depend on a key players of players, he now believes the pool he can call upon has expanded. 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 wilderness and Paul Izzo’s growth into a genuine Socceroos keeper with the ability to compete with Maty Ryan.

“The squad has totally changed in my mind – of what’s achievable with players that have entered,” 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 feel like there are 15, 20 players that have come into that, and I’m convinced there are more to come that I trust can help make us better as a squad at the World Cup.”

This surprising emergence of talent, and the transformation in thinking it has sparked in Popovic, has opened the door for players on the fringes of the squad. Even those not yet viewed within those ranks can keep faith that, by June next year, they could be on the plane. 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 steadily, 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 stop on that – to announce 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 one more player that joins in June?”

But this broadening, in a way, returns us to Popovic’s initial 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 unique is just ‘we don’t want to have restrictions’,” 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 boundaries? Why not do it now?”