Austria's national team in the Nations League season 2022/2023 was relegated from League A, finishing last in its group. In the previous edition the Austrians made an attempt to return to the tournament's top division, but finished second in a group with a fairly strong Norway and had to battle for the right to reach League A in playoff matches against Serbia. After playing at home to a 1:1 draw, the Austrians conceded two unanswered goals in Belgrade and remained in League B for at least another season. Since 2022, under the guidance of Ralph Rangnick, the Austrian national team managed to top its qualifying group and reach the World Cup in North America, and to meet there the minimum objective of advancing from the group, although it was achieved in a dramatic third-round group-stage match against Algeria. Already in the knockout stage the Austrians were drawn against the Spaniards, the eventual tournament winners, thanks to whom they were 'comfortably' eliminated. At the 2026 World Cup many national teams promptly fired their coaches after disappointing results, but such an 'epidemic' did not touch Austria, whose camp did not seriously discuss Rangnick's dismissal. As if the Austrian squad has a customary level, below which it did not drop for the 2026 World Cup, and above which it did not rise. This level clearly implies Austria's aim to reach League A at the end of the new edition of the tournament. Fortunately, none of the group opponents — Ireland, Kosovo and Israel — can be regarded as having a status higher than Austria. Especially when it comes to the last one. Israel, in the previous Nations League edition, played in League A, where it earned four points and finished last. Undoubtedly, football is not the priority in that country at the moment, which is reflected in the results of the national team. The quality of its players allowed it to beat Estonia and Moldova twice each in World Cup qualifying, but Israel failed to gain any points in four matches against Norway and Italy, in each of which it conceded between three and five goals. All of Israel's matches on Austrian soil since 2001 have ended with the opponents' victories. A similar outcome is expected this coming Thursday.