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As soon as Tony Popovic at last assembled his initial Socceroos squad, the new coach detailed a series of standards. A lot were unambiguous and to the point – perfect considering the disruption following his unexpected arrival, in the wake of Graham Arnold’s resignation, and with fewer than three weeks to make arrangements for critical 2026 World Cup qualifying matches against China and Japan.

Popovic maintained that any player who aimed to represent in a Socceroos shirt would need to embrace an “top-tier” attitude to secure, or continue to earn that honour. But there was a further theme. Not so much an order and an invitation to excel – and one that has been thrown more distinctly into view with each step taken on the journey towards the World Cup in North America.

“My expectations were to do something extraordinary, in my introductory talk to the players,” Popovic says. “That hasn’t changed.”

A little more than a year on from that meeting in an Adelaide hotel, a lot of other things have evolved, even if Popovic’s goals stay the same. The coach, for one, appears really settled as Socceroos head. The 52-year-old’s image for strictness sharply contrasts with the open and at times light-hearted figure engaging openly for over an hour in what have become periodic discussions with football media. So too have the performances of his team progressed, with memories of a loss to Bahrain and draw with Indonesia seeming rather distant after successes over Japan and Saudi Arabia in June booked the Socceroos’ berth in next year’s global tournament.

Those victories came as part of an 11-game winning streak under Popovic, one that was only broken away by the United States earlier this month. It’s form that has taken the Socceroos to the unexpected precipice of crashing pot two in the World Cup draw. The performances of November exhibition games against Venezuela, at the moment positioned 50th in the world, and 13th-ranked Colombia – as well as Ecuador’s games against Canada and New Zealand, and the last games of European qualifying – loom large in this respect.

Although Popovic admits that he arrived in the job expecting to only be able to depend on a key players of players, he now feels the group he can rely on has swelled. This isn’t just through the breakthrough of youngsters 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 sidelines and Paul Izzo’s growth into a bona fide Socceroos keeper with the potential to compete with 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 truly have much beyond this. Just make it work and make them better.’ Now, I think like there are 15, 20 players that have entered that, and I’m sure there are additional ones to come that I trust can help make us better as a squad at the World Cup.”

This surprising rise of talent, and the shift in thinking it has sparked in Popovic, has created opportunities for players on the edges of the squad. Even those not yet regarded within those ranks can keep faith that, in 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 – keeps to deliver regularly, then the coach is emphasizing they’re highly likely 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 new faces,” Popovic says. “No, I want every player to know that they have an possibility. Why can’t there be an additional player that steps up in June?”

But this growth, in a way, returns us to Popovic’s introductory 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 mindset.

“Saying I want to do something unique is just ‘we don’t want to have restrictions’,” 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 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 observing and applauding something special from the Socceroos? Why should we have restrictions? Why not do it now?”