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When Tony Popovic finally brought together his maiden Socceroos squad, the fresh coach detailed a set of requirements. A lot were unambiguous and direct – suitable given the disruption surrounding his sudden arrival, after Graham Arnold’s departure, and with under three weeks to prepare for critical 2026 World Cup qualifiers against China and Japan.

Popovic asserted that any player who aspired to pull on a Socceroos shirt would need to take on an “top-tier” mentality to earn, or keep that distinction. But there was another point. Not so much an order and more an evocation – and one that has been cast clearer into focus with each step taken on the path towards the World Cup in North America.

“My expectations 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 gathering in an Adelaide hotel, many of other things have evolved, even if Popovic’s ambitions stay the same. The coach, for one, seems truly comfortable as Socceroos boss. The 52-year-old’s standing for strictness stands in stark contrast with the approachable and at times cheerful figure holding court for over an hour in what have become periodic discussions with football media. Similarly have the results of his team progressed, with thoughts of a loss to Bahrain and tie with Indonesia seeming quite remote after successes over Japan and Saudi Arabia in June booked the Socceroos’ berth in next year’s global tournament.

Those wins came as part of an 11-game undefeated streak under Popovic, one that was only broken away by the United States earlier this month. It’s performance that has taken the Socceroos to the unlikely precipice of crashing pot two in the World Cup draw. The performances of November warm-up matches against Venezuela, presently positioned 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 context.

While Popovic admits that he began in the job assuming to only be able to depend on a key players of players, he now thinks the pool he can trust has expanded. This is not only through the breakthrough of youngsters such as Nestory Irankunda, Max Balard, or Mohamed Touré as authentic international players. There are also the cases of Miloš Degenek’s comeback from the obscurity and Paul Izzo’s blossoming into a true Socceroos keeper with the potential to challenge Maty Ryan.

“The squad has totally changed in my mind – of what’s achievable with players that have come in,” Popovic says. “I first thought, ‘OK, this is my group; I don’t really 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 rise of talent, and the shift in thinking it has brought about in Popovic, has paved the way for players on the fringes of the squad. Even those not yet viewed within those group can keep faith that, by June next year, they could be on the roster. A player like Adrian Segečić might be about to miss a month of playing due to an ankle injury, but if he – or any other player – persists to deliver consistently, then the coach is making clear they’re highly likely 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 inclusions,” Popovic says. “No, I want every player to know that they have an possibility. Why can’t there be another player that steps up in June?”

But this growth, in a way, brings us back to Popovic’s introductory talk as Socceroos head coach. For just as much as he wants players to impress him, to do something remarkable and exceed 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 boundaries’,” Popovic says. “We don’t want to pigeonhole ourselves into ‘let’s be participants at the World Cup, and let’s go home and pat each other on the back for being there’.

“I emphasize 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 cheering something special from the Socceroos? Why should we have limits? Why not do it now?”