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As soon as Tony Popovic eventually assembled his maiden Socceroos squad, the new coach presented a range of standards. Most were clear and direct – ideal in light of the upheaval following his abrupt appointment, in the wake of Graham Arnold’s resignation, and with fewer than three weeks to get ready for crucial 2026 World Cup qualifying matches against China and Japan.

Popovic asserted that any player who aimed to represent in a Socceroos shirt would need to embrace an “premier” mindset to earn, or continue to earn that distinction. But there was another point. Not so much an order and more an evocation – and one that has been thrown sharper 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.”

Approximately a year on from that team talk in an Adelaide hotel, many of other things have changed, even if Popovic’s goals stay the same. The coach, for one, looks genuinely settled as Socceroos head. The 52-year-old’s image for discipline differs greatly with the expansive and at times light-hearted figure speaking freely for over an hour in what have become frequent sit-downs with football media. So too have the performances of his team improved, with thoughts of a loss to Bahrain and stalemate with Indonesia feeling rather distant after wins over Japan and Saudi Arabia in June guaranteed the Socceroos’ place in next year’s international tournament.

Those wins 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 surprising edge of crashing pot two in the World Cup draw. The results 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 final games of European qualifying – carry weight in this respect.

Although Popovic acknowledges that he started 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 isn’t just through the emergence of youngsters such as Nestory Irankunda, Max Balard, or Mohamed Touré as genuine international players. There are also the likes of Miloš Degenek’s comeback from the wilderness and Paul Izzo’s growth into a true Socceroos keeper with the potential to compete with 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 beyond this. Just make it work and make them better.’ Now, I feel like there are 15, 20 players that have come into that, and I’m certain there are others to come that I believe can help make us better as a squad at the World Cup.”

This surprising rise of talent, and the change in mindset it has sparked in Popovic, has created opportunities for players on the fringes of the squad. Even those not yet regarded within those group can remain optimistic that, come June next year, they could be on the plane. 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 – continues to perform regularly, then the coach is making clear they’re every chance of being part of his plans.

“I don’t want to put a limit or a end on that – to announce in March that this is our squad, and there may be one or two more new faces,” Popovic says. “No, I want every player to believe that they have an possibility. Why can’t there be an additional player that steps up in June?”

But this expansion, in a way, leads back to Popovic’s first speech as Socceroos head coach. For just as much as he wants players to surprise him, to do something outstanding and rise above the hopes others have for them, he wants his team to have the same mindset.

“Saying I want to do something exceptional 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 celebrate for being there’.

“I keep saying 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 praising something remarkable from the Socceroos? Why should we have restrictions? Why not do it now?”