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When Tony Popovic eventually gathered his maiden Socceroos squad, the recently appointed coach outlined a set of expectations. Most were clear and direct – perfect considering the upheaval surrounding his sudden entry, after Graham Arnold’s exit, and with under three weeks to make arrangements for critical 2026 World Cup qualifying matches against China and Japan.

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

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

A little more than a year on from that meeting in an Adelaide hotel, plenty of other things have changed, even if Popovic’s goals stay the same. The coach, for one, appears really comfortable as Socceroos boss. The 52-year-old’s standing for strictness differs greatly with the expansive and at times light-hearted figure engaging openly for over an hour in what have become semi-regular discussions with football media. Similarly have the performances of his team changed, with recollections of a defeat to Bahrain and tie with Indonesia feeling quite distant after successes over Japan and Saudi Arabia in June booked the Socceroos’ spot in next year’s worldwide tournament.

Those triumphs 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 form that has taken the Socceroos to the unlikely edge of crashing pot two in the World Cup draw. The outcomes of November friendlies against Venezuela, at the moment placed 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 – carry weight in this respect.

While Popovic concedes that he began in the job expecting to only be able to count on a core group of players, he now thinks the selection he can rely on has expanded. This is not only through the breakthrough of young players such as Nestory Irankunda, Max Balard, or Mohamed Touré as genuine international players. There are also the cases of Miloš Degenek’s comeback from the sidelines and Paul Izzo’s development into a bona fide Socceroos keeper with the capability to push Maty Ryan.

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

This surprising rise of talent, and the change in outlook it has brought about in Popovic, has opened the door for players on the fringes of the squad. Even those not yet considered amongst those group can keep faith that, in June next year, they could be on the plane. A player like Adrian Segečić might be about to be absent for a month of playing due to an ankle injury, but if he – or any other player – keeps to perform steadily, then the coach is making clear 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 declare 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 an additional player that comes in in June?”

But this expansion, in a way, returns us to Popovic’s first address as Socceroos head coach. For just as much as he wants players to surprise him, to do something outstanding and rise above the expectations others have for them, he wants his team to have the same attitude.

“Saying I want to do something special is just ‘we don’t want to have limits’,” Popovic says. “We don’t want to pigeonhole ourselves into ‘let’s be contenders 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 a long way 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 restrictions? Why not do it now?”