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The moment Tony Popovic eventually gathered his first Socceroos squad, the new coach detailed a set of requirements. Most were clear and concise – ideal considering the upheaval surrounding his abrupt appointment, following Graham Arnold’s resignation, and with fewer than three weeks to prepare for vital 2026 World Cup fixtures against China and Japan.

Popovic insisted that any player who aimed to wear a Socceroos shirt would need to adopt an “top-tier” attitude to earn, or keep that privilege. But there was another message. Less a demand and more an evocation – and one that has been brought sharper into focus with each step taken on the journey towards the World Cup in North America.

“My hopes were to do something remarkable, in my first talk to the players,” Popovic says. “That stays constant.”

A little more than a year on from that gathering in an Adelaide hotel, plenty of other things have shifted, even if Popovic’s goals remain the same. The coach, for one, looks truly at home as Socceroos boss. The 52-year-old’s image for strictness sharply contrasts with the open and at times jovial figure holding court for over an hour in what have become semi-regular interviews with football media. So too have the results of his team changed, with memories of a loss to Bahrain and tie with Indonesia seeming quite remote after wins over Japan and Saudi Arabia in June secured the Socceroos’ place in next year’s global tournament.

Those triumphs 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 momentum that has taken the Socceroos to the unlikely edge of entering pot two in the World Cup draw. The results of November warm-up matches against Venezuela, at the moment 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 – loom large in this regard.

Even though Popovic admits that he started in the job assuming to only be able to rely on a main squad of players, he now feels the pool he can trust has swelled. This doesn't only come through the emergence 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 return from the wilderness and Paul Izzo’s blossoming into a true Socceroos keeper with the ability to push Maty Ryan.

“The squad has entirely changed in my mind – of what’s achievable with players that have joined,” Popovic says. “I first thought, ‘OK, this is my group; I don’t fully have much outside of this. Just get by and make them better.’ Now, I believe like there are 15, 20 players that have entered 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 transformation in outlook it has sparked in Popovic, has paved the way for players on the fringes of the squad. Even those not yet viewed amongst 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 – keeps to deliver steadily, then the coach is emphasizing they’re every chance of being part of his plans.

“I don’t want to put a restriction or a end on that – to reveal in March that this is our squad, and there may be one or two more additions,” Popovic says. “No, I want every player to feel that they have an opportunity. Why can’t there be one more player that joins in June?”

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

“Saying I want to do something special is just ‘we don’t want to have restrictions’,” Popovic says. “We don’t want to pigeonhole ourselves into ‘let’s be participants at the World Cup, and let’s go home and congratulate ourselves 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 observing and applauding something special from the Socceroos? Why should we have limits? Why not do it now?”