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The moment Tony Popovic at last brought together his initial Socceroos squad, the fresh coach detailed a range of requirements. Most were straightforward and concise – perfect considering the disruption around his unexpected entry, following 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 represent in a Socceroos shirt would need to take on an “elite” mindset to deserve, or continue to earn that honour. But there was another message. Not so much an order and more an evocation – and one that has been thrown clearer into perspective with each step taken on the road towards the World Cup in North America.

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

A little more than a year on from that gathering in an Adelaide hotel, a lot of other things have shifted, even if Popovic’s expectations are the same. The coach, for one, seems truly settled as Socceroos manager. The 52-year-old’s image for strictness stands in stark contrast with the approachable and at times jovial figure holding court for over an hour in what have become semi-regular discussions with football media. Similarly have the fortunes of his team progressed, with recollections of a setback to Bahrain and draw with Indonesia feeling quite far off after victories over Japan and Saudi Arabia in June booked the Socceroos’ place in next year’s worldwide tournament.

Those victories came as part of an 11-game unbeaten run under Popovic, one that was only ended away by the United States earlier this month. It’s performance that has taken the Socceroos to the surprising precipice of breaking into pot two in the World Cup draw. The outcomes 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 remaining games of European qualifying – are significant in this respect.

While Popovic acknowledges that he arrived in the job thinking to only be able to depend on a core group of players, he now thinks the selection he can trust has grown. This is not only through the emergence of youngsters such as Nestory Irankunda, Max Balard, or Mohamed Touré as authentic international players. There are also the examples of Miloš Degenek’s return from the obscurity and Paul Izzo’s development into a genuine 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 joined,” Popovic says. “I first thought, ‘OK, this is my group; I don’t really have much beyond this. Just make it work and make them better.’ Now, I believe like there are 15, 20 players that have joined that, and I’m sure there are others to come that I feel can help make us better as a squad at the World Cup.”

This unexpected rise of talent, and the change in outlook it has sparked in Popovic, has created opportunities for players on the periphery of the squad. Even those not yet viewed among those ranks can remain optimistic that, by 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 perform regularly, then the coach is making clear they’re in with a shot of being part of his plans.

“I don’t want to put a cap or a end on that – to reveal 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 know that they have an opportunity. Why can’t there be an additional player that steps up in June?”

But this broadening, in a way, returns us to Popovic’s first speech as Socceroos head coach. For just as much as he wants players to surprise him, to do something remarkable and rise above the expectations others have for them, he wants his team to have the same mindset.

“Saying I want to do something unique is just ‘we don’t want to have limits’,” Popovic says. “We don’t want to pigeonhole ourselves into ‘let’s be contenders 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 deep in the World Cup. And why not this group? Why do we have to wait two or three World Cups, when I’m sitting back and praising something special from the Socceroos? Why should we have boundaries? Why not do it now?”