When Tony Popovic eventually brought together his first Socceroos squad, the new coach presented a series of standards. The majority were unambiguous and direct – perfect considering the upheaval following his unexpected appointment, in the wake of Graham Arnold’s exit, and with fewer than three weeks to prepare for vital 2026 World Cup qualifiers against China and Japan.
Popovic asserted that any player who aspired to pull on a Socceroos shirt would need to take on an “top-tier” mindset to secure, or maintain that distinction. But there was another point. More an inspiration and an invitation to excel – and one that has been cast sharper into focus with every step taken on the path towards the World Cup in North America.
“My visions were to do something extraordinary, in my introductory 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 changed, even if Popovic’s goals remain the same. The coach, for one, appears really at home as Socceroos manager. The 52-year-old’s standing for strictness sharply contrasts with the approachable and at times jovial figure speaking freely for over an hour in what have become semi-regular discussions with football media. Likewise have the fortunes of his team improved, with recollections of a loss to Bahrain and draw with Indonesia seeming quite far off after victories over Japan and Saudi Arabia in June secured the Socceroos’ berth in next year’s international 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 momentum that has taken the Socceroos to the unexpected brink of breaking into pot two in the World Cup draw. The performances of November exhibition games against Venezuela, at the moment ranked 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 context.
Although Popovic admits that he arrived in the job assuming to only be able to depend on a key players of players, he now believes the selection 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 cases of Miloš Degenek’s reappearance from the obscurity and Paul Izzo’s blossoming into a genuine 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 come in,” 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 feel like there are 15, 20 players that have joined that, and I’m sure there are others 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 outlook it has brought about in Popovic, has opened the door for players on the fringes of the squad. Even those not yet regarded within 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 be absent for a month of playing due to an ankle injury, but if he – or any other player – persists to deliver steadily, then the coach is making clear 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 additions,” Popovic says. “No, I want every player to know that they have an opportunity. Why can’t there be one more player that joins in June?”
But this expansion, in a way, returns us to Popovic’s introductory talk as Socceroos head coach. For just as much as he wants players to exceed expectations him, to do something special and rise above the expectations others have for them, he wants his team to have the same attitude.
“Saying I want to do something special is just ‘we don’t want to have boundaries’,” Popovic says. “We don’t want to box ourselves into ‘let’s be competitors at the World Cup, and let’s go home and celebrate 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 observing and cheering something special from the Socceroos? Why should we have limits? Why not do it now?”
Lena Hoffmann is a seasoned journalist with a passion for uncovering stories that matter, specializing in German current affairs and digital media trends.
