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As soon as Tony Popovic finally brought together his initial Socceroos squad, the fresh coach presented a set of standards. The majority were unambiguous and direct – ideal considering the disruption around his unexpected arrival, in the wake of Graham Arnold’s departure, and with less than three weeks to get ready for crucial 2026 World Cup fixtures against China and Japan.

Popovic maintained that any player who aspired to pull on a Socceroos shirt would need to adopt an “elite” mindset to earn, or keep that privilege. But there was a further theme. Not so much an order and an invitation to excel – and one that has been brought more distinctly into perspective with each step taken on the journey towards the World Cup in North America.

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

Just over a year on from that meeting in an Adelaide hotel, many of other things have evolved, even if Popovic’s goals are the same. The coach, for one, seems genuinely comfortable as Socceroos manager. The 52-year-old’s standing for strictness stands in stark contrast with the expansive and at times jovial figure engaging openly for over an hour in what have become frequent interviews with football media. So too have the results of his team improved, with memories of a loss to Bahrain and stalemate with Indonesia seeming fairly far off after successes over Japan and Saudi Arabia in June secured the Socceroos’ place in next year’s worldwide tournament.

Those victories came as part of an 11-game winning streak 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 breaking into pot two in the World Cup draw. The results of November friendlies against Venezuela, currently ranked 50th in the world, and 13th-ranked Colombia – as well as Ecuador’s games against Canada and New Zealand, and the final games of European qualifying – are significant in this respect.

Although Popovic concedes that he started in the job thinking to only be able to count on a key players of players, he now feels the pool he can trust has grown. This is not only through the emergence of young players such as Nestory Irankunda, Max Balard, or Mohamed Touré as real international players. There are also the examples of Miloš Degenek’s comeback from the sidelines and Paul Izzo’s blossoming into a genuine Socceroos keeper with the potential to push Maty Ryan.

“The squad has entirely changed in my mind – of what’s possible 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 think like there are 15, 20 players that have entered that, and I’m certain there are additional ones to come that I feel can help make us better as a squad at the World Cup.”

This surprising appearance of talent, and the transformation in mindset it has brought about in Popovic, has opened the door for players on the fringes of the squad. Even those not yet regarded within those group can keep faith that, by June next year, they could be on the flight. 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 – keeps to play 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 end on that – to declare 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 believe that they have an possibility. Why can’t there be another player that comes in in June?”

But this expansion, in a way, returns us to Popovic’s introductory address 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 exceptional is just ‘we don’t want to have limits’,” 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 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 praising something remarkable from the Socceroos? Why should we have limits? Why not do it now?”