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

As soon as Tony Popovic eventually gathered his maiden Socceroos squad, the new coach presented a series of requirements. Most were clear and to the point – ideal given the turmoil around his unexpected entry, in the wake of Graham Arnold’s departure, and with fewer than three weeks to make arrangements for crucial 2026 World Cup qualifying matches against China and Japan.

Popovic insisted that any player who aspired to wear a Socceroos shirt would need to adopt an “top-tier” attitude to earn, or keep that honour. But there was a further point. More an inspiration and a call to greatness – and one that has been thrown more distinctly into view 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 hasn’t changed.”

Just over a year on from that meeting in an Adelaide hotel, many of other things have changed, even if Popovic’s goals stay the same. The coach, for one, looks truly comfortable as Socceroos head. The 52-year-old’s standing for discipline stands in stark contrast with the approachable and at times light-hearted figure speaking freely for over an hour in what have become semi-regular interviews with football media. Likewise have the results of his team improved, with recollections of a defeat to Bahrain and draw with Indonesia appearing quite remote after victories over Japan and Saudi Arabia in June booked the Socceroos’ berth in next year’s global tournament.

Those wins came as part of an 11-game unbeaten run 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 surprising brink of crashing pot two in the World Cup draw. The results 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 regard.

While Popovic acknowledges that he began in the job assuming to only be able to rely on a main squad of players, he now thinks the group he can trust has swelled. This doesn't only come through the emergence of talented youth 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 sidelines and Paul Izzo’s growth into a genuine Socceroos keeper with the potential to compete with Maty Ryan.

“The squad has completely changed in my mind – of what’s possible with players that have come in,” Popovic says. “I first thought, ‘OK, this is my group; I don’t truly have much apart from this. Just manage and make them better.’ Now, I think like there are 15, 20 players that have joined that, and I’m sure there are more to come that I believe can help make us better as a squad at the World Cup.”

This surprising rise of talent, and the shift in thinking it has brought about in Popovic, has created opportunities for players on the periphery of the squad. Even those not yet viewed among those ranks can remain optimistic that, by June next year, they could be on the flight. 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 deliver steadily, then the coach is emphasizing they’re highly likely of being part of his plans.

“I don’t want to put a restriction or a end 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 chance. Why can’t there be one more player that steps up in June?”

But this expansion, in a way, brings us back to Popovic’s introductory talk as Socceroos head coach. For just as much as he wants players to exceed expectations him, to do something outstanding and go beyond the predictions others have for them, he wants his team to have the same attitude.

“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 contenders at the World Cup, and let’s go home and pat each other on the back for being there’.

“I keep saying 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 observing and cheering something exceptional from the Socceroos? Why should we have limits? Why not do it now?”