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

When Tony Popovic at last brought together his initial Socceroos squad, the recently appointed coach presented a range of standards. The majority were unambiguous and direct – ideal given the disruption following his abrupt appointment, in the wake of Graham Arnold’s resignation, and with less than three weeks to make arrangements for crucial 2026 World Cup qualifiers against China and Japan.

Popovic insisted that any player who aspired to represent in a Socceroos shirt would need to adopt an “top-tier” mindset to deserve, or maintain that distinction. But there was an additional point. Not so much an order and an invitation to excel – and one that has been thrown more distinctly into perspective 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.”

A little more than a year on from that team talk in an Adelaide hotel, many of other things have shifted, even if Popovic’s expectations remain the same. The coach, for one, seems genuinely settled as Socceroos manager. The 52-year-old’s image for austerity sharply contrasts with the open and at times light-hearted figure holding court for over an hour in what have become periodic interviews with football media. Similarly have the performances of his team improved, with recollections of a loss to Bahrain and stalemate with Indonesia appearing rather far off after successes over Japan and Saudi Arabia in June guaranteed the Socceroos’ place in next year’s global tournament.

Those triumphs came as part of an 11-game undefeated streak under Popovic, one that was only broken away by the United States earlier this month. It’s performance that has taken the Socceroos to the unexpected brink of crashing pot two in the World Cup draw. The outcomes of November friendlies 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 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 rely on a key players of players, he now believes the group he can rely on has expanded. This isn’t just through the rise of talented youth such as Nestory Irankunda, Max Balard, or Mohamed Touré as real international players. There are also the cases of Miloš Degenek’s return from the wilderness and Paul Izzo’s growth into a true Socceroos keeper with the capability to compete with Maty Ryan.

“The squad has entirely changed in my mind – of what’s possible with players that have joined,” Popovic says. “I first thought, ‘OK, this is my group; I don’t fully have much apart from 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 more to come that I feel can help make us better as a squad at the World Cup.”

This unforeseen emergence of talent, and the change in mindset it has brought about in Popovic, has opened the door for players on the fringes of the squad. Even those not yet regarded amongst those group can keep faith that, come June next year, they could be on the flight. 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 deliver steadily, 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 restriction or a stop on that – to reveal in March that this is our squad, and there may be one or two more inclusions,” Popovic says. “No, I want every player to know that they have an opportunity. Why can’t there be one more player that steps up in June?”

But this broadening, in a way, brings us back to Popovic’s introductory address as Socceroos head coach. For just as much as he wants players to impress him, to do something remarkable and exceed the expectations others have for them, he wants his team to have the same philosophy.

“Saying I want to do something exceptional is just ‘we don’t want to have boundaries’,” Popovic says. “We don’t want to box 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 emphasize it to the group: one day, Australia will go a long way 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 exceptional from the Socceroos? Why should we have limits? Why not do it now?”