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As soon as Tony Popovic finally assembled his initial Socceroos squad, the recently appointed coach outlined a set of expectations. Most were straightforward and to the point – ideal given the disruption following his abrupt arrival, after Graham Arnold’s exit, and with under three weeks to prepare for vital 2026 World Cup qualifiers against China and Japan.

Popovic maintained that any player who aimed to wear a Socceroos shirt would need to take on an “premier” attitude to earn, or continue to earn that honour. But there was a further theme. Not so much an order and a call to greatness – and one that has been thrown more distinctly into view with any step taken on the journey towards the World Cup in North America.

“My expectations were to do something special, in my initial talk to the players,” Popovic says. “That stays constant.”

Just over a year on from that meeting in an Adelaide hotel, plenty of other things have changed, even if Popovic’s expectations are the same. The coach, for one, appears truly settled as Socceroos manager. The 52-year-old’s standing for strictness sharply contrasts with the approachable and at times cheerful figure holding court for over an hour in what have become periodic sit-downs with football media. Likewise have the fortunes of his team changed, with memories of a setback to Bahrain and tie with Indonesia appearing quite distant after successes over Japan and Saudi Arabia in June guaranteed 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 ended away by the United States earlier this month. It’s form that has taken the Socceroos to the unexpected edge of breaking into pot two in the World Cup draw. The outcomes of November exhibition games 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 remaining games of European qualifying – loom large in this respect.

Even though Popovic concedes that he began in the job thinking to only be able to depend on a main squad of players, he now thinks the group he can call upon has swelled. This is not only through the breakthrough of young players such as Nestory Irankunda, Max Balard, or Mohamed Touré as real international players. There are also the likes of Miloš Degenek’s reappearance from the obscurity and Paul Izzo’s growth into a true Socceroos keeper with the capability to challenge Maty Ryan.

“The squad has completely changed in my mind – of what’s possible with players that have joined,” Popovic says. “I first thought, ‘OK, this is my group; I don’t fully have much beyond this. Just manage and make them better.’ Now, I feel like there are 15, 20 players that have joined that, and I’m sure there are others to come that I trust can help make us better as a squad at the World Cup.”

This unforeseen rise of talent, and the change in mindset it has inspired in Popovic, has paved the way for players on the fringes of the squad. Even those not yet viewed among those group can hold out hope that, come June next year, they could be on the roster. 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 emphasizing they’re in with a shot of being part of his plans.

“I don’t want to put a restriction or a halt on that – to announce 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 opportunity. Why can’t there be an additional player that comes in in June?”

But this broadening, in a way, returns us to Popovic’s first talk 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 philosophy.

“Saying I want to do something unique is just ‘we don’t want to have boundaries’,” 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 watching and cheering something remarkable from the Socceroos? Why should we have limits? Why not do it now?”