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

When Tony Popovic finally assembled his initial Socceroos squad, the recently appointed coach outlined a series of requirements. A lot were straightforward and direct – perfect in light of the disruption following his sudden arrival, in the wake of Graham Arnold’s exit, and with fewer than three weeks to get ready for vital 2026 World Cup qualifiers against China and Japan.

Popovic insisted that any player who aimed to pull on a Socceroos shirt would need to take on an “premier” attitude to secure, or keep that distinction. But there was an additional theme. Not so much an order and a call to greatness – and one that has been cast more distinctly into view with every step taken on the path towards the World Cup in North America.

“My hopes were to do something special, in my initial talk to the players,” Popovic says. “That hasn’t changed.”

Just over a year on from that team talk in an Adelaide hotel, a lot of other things have changed, even if Popovic’s expectations remain the same. The coach, for one, looks truly at home as Socceroos manager. The 52-year-old’s standing for strictness sharply contrasts with the open and at times light-hearted figure speaking freely for over an hour in what have become semi-regular interviews with football media. Similarly have the performances of his team progressed, with memories of a setback to Bahrain and stalemate with Indonesia appearing rather distant after victories over Japan and Saudi Arabia in June secured the Socceroos’ berth in next year’s international tournament.

Those wins 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 momentum that has taken the Socceroos to the unlikely brink of crashing pot two in the World Cup draw. The performances of November friendlies against Venezuela, presently ranked 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 – loom large in this regard.

Even though Popovic admits that he began in the job thinking to only be able to count on a main squad of players, he now thinks the pool he can trust has swelled. This isn’t just through the emergence of young players such as Nestory Irankunda, Max Balard, or Mohamed Touré as genuine international players. There are also the cases of Miloš Degenek’s return from the wilderness and Paul Izzo’s growth into a genuine Socceroos keeper with the potential 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 really have much apart from this. Just manage and make them better.’ Now, I think like there are 15, 20 players that have entered that, and I’m certain there are others 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 mindset it has sparked in Popovic, has paved the way for players on the fringes of the squad. Even those not yet viewed amongst those group can keep faith that, in 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 play consistently, 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 halt 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 feel that they have an opportunity. Why can’t there be another player that comes in in June?”

But this growth, in a way, brings us back to Popovic’s initial address as Socceroos head coach. For just as much as he wants players to surprise him, to do something remarkable and go beyond the hopes others have for them, he wants his team to have the same mindset.

“Saying I want to do something special is just ‘we don’t want to have restrictions’,” Popovic says. “We don’t want to box ourselves into ‘let’s be competitors at the World Cup, and let’s go home and congratulate ourselves 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 remarkable from the Socceroos? Why should we have restrictions? Why not do it now?”