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

The moment Tony Popovic at last assembled his first Socceroos squad, the new coach outlined a set of expectations. A lot were unambiguous and concise – perfect given the turmoil surrounding his sudden entry, following Graham Arnold’s exit, and with under three weeks to prepare for vital 2026 World Cup fixtures against China and Japan.

Popovic asserted that any player who aimed to wear a Socceroos shirt would need to adopt an “elite” mindset to deserve, or continue to earn that privilege. But there was a further theme. More an inspiration and an invitation to excel – and one that has been brought clearer into perspective with any 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 remains the same.”

Approximately a year on from that gathering in an Adelaide hotel, plenty of other things have shifted, even if Popovic’s ambitions are the same. The coach, for one, appears really settled as Socceroos boss. The 52-year-old’s standing for strictness sharply contrasts with the open and at times jovial figure engaging openly for over an hour in what have become periodic interviews with football media. So too have the fortunes of his team improved, with thoughts of a loss to Bahrain and draw with Indonesia seeming rather far off after wins over Japan and Saudi Arabia in June booked the Socceroos’ spot in next year’s global tournament.

Those victories came as part of an 11-game winning streak under Popovic, one that was only snapped away by the United States earlier this month. It’s momentum that has taken the Socceroos to the unlikely edge of breaking into pot two in the World Cup draw. The performances of November exhibition games against Venezuela, currently placed 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 regard.

While Popovic admits that he began in the job assuming to only be able to rely on a core group of players, he now feels the pool he can rely on has swelled. This is not only through the rise of young players such as Nestory Irankunda, Max Balard, or Mohamed Touré as genuine international players. There are also the examples of Miloš Degenek’s return from the obscurity and Paul Izzo’s blossoming into a bona fide Socceroos keeper with the potential to challenge Maty Ryan.

“The squad has completely 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 really have much beyond this. Just make it work and make them better.’ Now, I think like there are 15, 20 players that have joined that, and I’m certain there are additional ones to come that I trust can help make us better as a squad at the World Cup.”

This surprising emergence of talent, and the change in thinking it has inspired in Popovic, has created opportunities for players on the edges of the squad. Even those not yet viewed amongst those circle can hold out hope 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 – continues to perform regularly, then the coach is emphasizing they’re every chance of being part of his plans.

“I don’t want to put a cap 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 one more player that comes in in June?”

But this growth, in a way, brings us back to Popovic’s introductory speech as Socceroos head coach. For just as much as he wants players to exceed expectations him, to do something remarkable and rise above the hopes 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 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 repeat 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 watching and cheering something exceptional from the Socceroos? Why should we have boundaries? Why not do it now?”