{‘Why do we have to wait?’: Popovic places no boundaries on what Australia can attain.

The moment Tony Popovic eventually assembled his initial Socceroos squad, the new coach presented a set of standards. The majority were unambiguous and to the point – ideal in light of the upheaval surrounding his abrupt arrival, after Graham Arnold’s departure, and with under three weeks to prepare for critical 2026 World Cup qualifying matches against China and Japan.

Popovic asserted that any player who aspired to represent in a Socceroos shirt would need to adopt an “premier” mentality to secure, or maintain that privilege. But there was an additional theme. Less a demand and more an evocation – and one that has been cast clearer into view with any step taken on the path towards the World Cup in North America.

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

Approximately a year on from that meeting in an Adelaide hotel, a lot of other things have evolved, even if Popovic’s ambitions stay the same. The coach, for one, seems really at home as Socceroos head. The 52-year-old’s reputation for austerity stands in stark contrast with the expansive and at times light-hearted figure holding court for over an hour in what have become periodic sit-downs with football media. Likewise have the performances of his team improved, with memories of a loss to Bahrain and draw with Indonesia feeling quite distant after victories over Japan and Saudi Arabia in June booked 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 snapped away by the United States earlier this month. It’s momentum that has taken the Socceroos to the unlikely precipice of breaking into pot two in the World Cup draw. The outcomes of November exhibition games against Venezuela, presently placed 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.

While Popovic acknowledges that he started in the job assuming to only be able to count on a main squad of players, he now thinks the group he can trust has grown. This isn’t just through the rise of talented youth such as Nestory Irankunda, Max Balard, or Mohamed Touré as authentic international players. There are also the cases of Miloš Degenek’s return from the wilderness and Paul Izzo’s development into a true Socceroos keeper with the capability to push Maty Ryan.

“The squad has entirely changed in my mind – of what’s attainable with players that have come in,” Popovic says. “I first thought, ‘OK, this is my group; I don’t truly have much apart from this. Just get by and make them better.’ Now, I feel like there are 15, 20 players that have joined that, and I’m certain there are more to come that I feel can help make us better as a squad at the World Cup.”

This surprising appearance 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 viewed among those circle can keep faith that, in June next year, they could be on the roster. A player like Adrian Segečić might be about to be absent for a month of playing due to an ankle injury, but if he – or any other player – keeps to deliver consistently, then the coach is emphasizing they’re highly likely of being part of his plans.

“I don’t want to put a cap or a end on that – to declare 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 chance. Why can’t there be one more player that steps up in June?”

But this expansion, in a way, returns us to Popovic’s introductory address as Socceroos head coach. For just as much as he wants players to surprise him, to do something special and rise above the expectations 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 confine ourselves into ‘let’s be competitors at the World Cup, and let’s go home and pat each other on the back 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 cheering something exceptional from the Socceroos? Why should we have boundaries? Why not do it now?”