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

As soon as Tony Popovic finally brought together his first Socceroos squad, the recently appointed coach detailed a series of requirements. Most were clear and direct – suitable in light of the turmoil around his unexpected entry, after Graham Arnold’s exit, and with under three weeks to prepare for crucial 2026 World Cup qualifying matches against China and Japan.

Popovic asserted that any player who aimed to wear a Socceroos shirt would need to take on an “top-tier” attitude to secure, or continue to earn that distinction. But there was an additional theme. Less a demand and more an evocation – and one that has been cast more distinctly into focus with each step taken on the road towards the World Cup in North America.

“My visions 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 gathering in an Adelaide hotel, a lot of other things have evolved, even if Popovic’s expectations are the same. The coach, for one, appears truly comfortable as Socceroos boss. The 52-year-old’s standing for strictness sharply contrasts with the expansive and at times cheerful figure speaking freely for over an hour in what have become periodic discussions with football media. So too have the results of his team improved, with memories of a setback to Bahrain and stalemate with Indonesia seeming rather distant after victories over Japan and Saudi Arabia in June booked the Socceroos’ berth in next year’s worldwide tournament.

Those wins came as part of an 11-game winning streak 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 unexpected brink of entering pot two in the World Cup draw. The results of November exhibition games against Venezuela, currently ranked 50th in the world, and 13th-ranked Colombia – as well as Ecuador’s games against Canada and New Zealand, and the remaining games of European qualifying – loom large in this context.

Even though Popovic admits that he started in the job assuming to only be able to count on a key players of players, he now thinks the pool he can rely on has expanded. This is not only through the breakthrough of young players such as Nestory Irankunda, Max Balard, or Mohamed Touré as authentic international players. There are also the likes of Miloš Degenek’s return from the wilderness and Paul Izzo’s blossoming into a genuine Socceroos keeper with the ability to compete with Maty Ryan.

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

This surprising emergence of talent, and the transformation in mindset it has sparked in Popovic, has paved the way for players on the edges of the squad. Even those not yet considered amongst those ranks can keep faith that, come 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 deliver regularly, then the coach is emphasizing they’re highly likely of being part of his plans.

“I don’t want to put a cap or a stop on that – to announce 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 another player that steps up 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 go beyond the hopes others have for them, he wants his team to have the same philosophy.

“Saying I want to do something exceptional is just ‘we don’t want to have limits’,” Popovic says. “We don’t want to pigeonhole ourselves into ‘let’s be participants at the World Cup, and let’s go home and pat each other on the back 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 cheering something remarkable from the Socceroos? Why should we have boundaries? Why not do it now?”