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

When Tony Popovic at last gathered his maiden Socceroos squad, the new coach detailed a set of requirements. The majority were clear and concise – perfect in light of the upheaval following his abrupt appointment, after Graham Arnold’s exit, and with less than three weeks to make arrangements for vital 2026 World Cup fixtures against China and Japan.

Popovic asserted that any player who aimed to represent in a Socceroos shirt would need to embrace an “elite” attitude to deserve, or continue to earn that privilege. But there was a further point. Less a demand and a call to greatness – and one that has been thrown clearer into perspective with every step taken on the road towards the World Cup in North America.

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

A little more than a year on from that gathering in an Adelaide hotel, a lot of other things have evolved, even if Popovic’s ambitions are the same. The coach, for one, seems genuinely settled as Socceroos boss. The 52-year-old’s reputation for austerity differs greatly with the expansive and at times cheerful figure holding court for over an hour in what have become periodic interviews with football media. So too have the results of his team improved, with recollections of a loss to Bahrain and draw with Indonesia seeming quite far off after wins over Japan and Saudi Arabia in June booked the Socceroos’ berth in next year’s global tournament.

Those triumphs came as part of an 11-game winning 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 unlikely precipice of entering pot two in the World Cup draw. The results of November warm-up matches 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 last games of European qualifying – are significant in this context.

While Popovic concedes that he arrived in the job assuming to only be able to rely on a key players of players, he now feels the pool he can call upon has grown. This doesn't only come through the rise of youngsters such as Nestory Irankunda, Max Balard, or Mohamed Touré as genuine international players. There are also the likes of Miloš Degenek’s return from the obscurity and Paul Izzo’s blossoming into a true Socceroos keeper with the potential to push Maty Ryan.

“The squad has completely changed in my mind – of what’s achievable with players that have joined,” 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 think like there are 15, 20 players that have come into that, and I’m sure there are others 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 outlook it has brought about in Popovic, has created opportunities for players on the fringes of the squad. Even those not yet regarded amongst those circle can hold out hope that, by June next year, they could be on the roster. A player like Adrian Segečić might be about to miss a month of playing due to an ankle injury, but if he – or any other player – persists to deliver consistently, then the coach is emphasizing they’re every chance of being part of his plans.

“I don’t want to put a restriction or a stop 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 joins in June?”

But this growth, in a way, returns us to Popovic’s first address as Socceroos head coach. For just as much as he wants players to impress him, to do something remarkable and go beyond 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 pat each other on the back for being there’.

“I repeat 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 watching and praising something special from the Socceroos? Why should we have limits? Why not do it now?”