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

The moment Tony Popovic at last brought together his initial Socceroos squad, the recently appointed coach detailed a set of standards. A lot were unambiguous and concise – suitable in light of the upheaval around his abrupt entry, after Graham Arnold’s departure, and with less than three weeks to prepare for crucial 2026 World Cup fixtures against China and Japan.

Popovic asserted that any player who aimed to pull on a Socceroos shirt would need to adopt an “elite” attitude to deserve, or maintain that distinction. But there was an additional theme. Less a demand and more an evocation – and one that has been cast clearer into perspective with each step taken on the journey towards the World Cup in North America.

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

Approximately a year on from that gathering in an Adelaide hotel, a lot of other things have changed, even if Popovic’s goals stay the same. The coach, for one, appears genuinely settled as Socceroos boss. The 52-year-old’s reputation for discipline stands in stark contrast with the approachable and at times light-hearted figure engaging openly for over an hour in what have become periodic interviews with football media. So too have the performances of his team changed, with recollections of a loss to Bahrain and tie with Indonesia seeming fairly remote after victories over Japan and Saudi Arabia in June booked the Socceroos’ place in next year’s international tournament.

Those wins came as part of an 11-game undefeated streak under Popovic, one that was only ended away by the United States earlier this month. It’s momentum that has taken the Socceroos to the unexpected brink of entering pot two in the World Cup draw. The results of November friendlies 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 final games of European qualifying – loom large in this context.

Although Popovic concedes that he began in the job expecting to only be able to count on a main squad of players, he now believes 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 real international players. There are also the examples of Miloš Degenek’s reappearance from the sidelines and Paul Izzo’s development into a genuine Socceroos keeper with the capability to challenge Maty Ryan.

“The squad has entirely changed in my mind – of what’s attainable 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 manage and make them better.’ Now, I think like there are 15, 20 players that have come into that, and I’m convinced there are additional ones to come that I trust can help make us better as a squad at the World Cup.”

This surprising appearance of talent, and the change in outlook it has brought about in Popovic, has opened the door for players on the edges of the squad. Even those not yet considered among those ranks 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 – continues to perform steadily, then the coach is stating plainly they’re in with a shot of being part of his plans.

“I don’t want to put a limit or a stop 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 feel that they have an chance. Why can’t there be one more player that joins in June?”

But this growth, in a way, leads back to Popovic’s first address as Socceroos head coach. For just as much as he wants players to surprise 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 exceptional is just ‘we don’t want to have boundaries’,” Popovic says. “We don’t want to confine ourselves into ‘let’s be participants 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 very far 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 exceptional from the Socceroos? Why should we have restrictions? Why not do it now?”