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As soon as Tony Popovic at last gathered his maiden Socceroos squad, the fresh coach presented a series of expectations. A lot were clear and direct – ideal given the upheaval around his unexpected arrival, in the wake of Graham Arnold’s departure, and with under three weeks to make arrangements for crucial 2026 World Cup qualifying matches against China and Japan.

Popovic insisted that any player who aspired to pull on a Socceroos shirt would need to take on an “elite” mindset to secure, or maintain that distinction. But there was an additional point. Not so much an order and a call to greatness – and one that has been brought clearer into view with any step taken on the journey towards the World Cup in North America.

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

Approximately a year on from that meeting in an Adelaide hotel, many of other things have changed, even if Popovic’s ambitions are the same. The coach, for one, looks really settled as Socceroos manager. The 52-year-old’s reputation for austerity stands in stark contrast with the approachable and at times light-hearted figure speaking freely for over an hour in what have become periodic discussions with football media. Likewise have the fortunes of his team improved, with memories of a defeat to Bahrain and stalemate with Indonesia seeming quite distant after victories over Japan and Saudi Arabia in June booked the Socceroos’ spot in next year’s international tournament.

Those wins 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 momentum that has taken the Socceroos to the unexpected precipice of entering 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 remaining games of European qualifying – carry weight in this regard.

Although Popovic admits that he began in the job assuming to only be able to rely on a main squad of players, he now thinks the selection he can trust has swelled. This doesn't only come through the rise of youngsters such as Nestory Irankunda, Max Balard, or Mohamed Touré as genuine international players. There are also the likes of Miloš Degenek’s return from the sidelines and Paul Izzo’s growth into a genuine 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 come in,” Popovic says. “I first thought, ‘OK, this is my group; I don’t really have much beyond this. Just get by and make them better.’ Now, I feel like there are 15, 20 players that have come into that, and I’m convinced there are others to come that I believe can help make us better as a squad at the World Cup.”

This unexpected rise of talent, and the transformation in mindset it has inspired in Popovic, has created opportunities for players on the fringes of the squad. Even those not yet viewed amongst those circle can keep faith that, come June next year, they could be on the plane. 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 – continues to play consistently, 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 limit or a halt on that – to declare in March that this is our squad, and there may be one or two more additions,” 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, leads back to Popovic’s first talk as Socceroos head coach. For just as much as he wants players to exceed expectations him, to do something outstanding and go beyond the expectations others have for them, he wants his team to have the same mindset.

“Saying I want to do something special is just ‘we don’t want to have limits’,” Popovic says. “We don’t want to box ourselves into ‘let’s be participants at the World Cup, and let’s go home and celebrate for being there’.

“I repeat 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 applauding something remarkable from the Socceroos? Why should we have limits? Why not do it now?”