{‘Why do we have to wait?’: Popovic imposes no restrictions on what the Socceroos can achieve.

The moment Tony Popovic finally assembled his initial Socceroos squad, the fresh coach outlined a series of standards. Most were unambiguous and direct – suitable given the disruption following his unexpected appointment, after Graham Arnold’s exit, and with less than three weeks to prepare for critical 2026 World Cup qualifying matches against China and Japan.

Popovic maintained that any player who aimed to pull on a Socceroos shirt would need to take on an “premier” attitude to earn, or maintain that distinction. But there was a further theme. Less a demand and a call to greatness – and one that has been thrown clearer into focus with each 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.”

Just over a year on from that team talk in an Adelaide hotel, a lot of other things have evolved, even if Popovic’s goals stay the same. The coach, for one, appears truly settled as Socceroos head. The 52-year-old’s reputation for discipline differs greatly with the approachable and at times jovial figure holding court for over an hour in what have become frequent discussions with football media. So too have the performances of his team changed, with thoughts of a loss to Bahrain and tie with Indonesia feeling fairly distant after wins over Japan and Saudi Arabia in June booked the Socceroos’ spot in next year’s international 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 form that has taken the Socceroos to the unexpected brink of crashing pot two in the World Cup draw. The performances of November warm-up matches against Venezuela, currently 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 – carry weight in this respect.

While Popovic concedes that he arrived in the job expecting to only be able to rely on a core group of players, he now thinks the selection he can trust has grown. This isn’t just through the breakthrough 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 blossoming into a true Socceroos keeper with the potential to challenge Maty Ryan.

“The squad has entirely changed in my mind – of what’s attainable with players that have entered,” Popovic says. “I first thought, ‘OK, this is my group; I don’t truly have much beyond this. Just get by 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 surprising emergence of talent, and the transformation in mindset it has brought about in Popovic, has opened the door for players on the edges of the squad. Even those not yet regarded within those group can hold out hope 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 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 declare in March that this is our squad, and there may be one or two more inclusions,” Popovic says. “No, I want every player to believe that they have an possibility. Why can’t there be one more player that comes in in June?”

But this growth, in a way, brings us back to Popovic’s introductory talk as Socceroos head coach. For just as much as he wants players to impress him, to do something remarkable and rise above the expectations 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 competitors at the World Cup, and let’s go home and congratulate ourselves 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 sitting back and praising something remarkable from the Socceroos? Why should we have restrictions? Why not do it now?”