🔗 Share this article

The team's sights are firmly on the upcoming World Cup play-off draw as they await learning their semi-final and possible final opponents.

Having ended as runners-up in their qualification pool thanks to a dominant 7-1 victory over North Macedonia – their largest win since 1978 – the side will play the semi-final match on home soil.

They will play against either Albania, Bosnia, the Kosovan team or Republic of Ireland in that match on 26 March.

Former Wales forward Rob Earnshaw feels the Welsh squad will relish a tie against whichever opponent following their most recent performance at Cardiff City Stadium.

"I know Craig Bellamy, I played with him and his mindset is 'give us anyone, it doesn't matter'," Earnshaw stated.

"A lot of supporters were wondering recently, 'do we really want Ireland because of that derby feel?'. I think many people didn't. But for me, that could be incredible.

"So it's that type of situation, indeed, we'll take Kosovo or Bosnia and the Albanians are competitive and Ireland, of course, they are a capable team so they'll be challenging.

"But you just feel that we're prepared for anyone at the moment and we're confident, and a lot of that is down to Craig Bellamy."

Potential Playoff Semifinal Rivals Reviewed

Wales sit 34th in the world rankings, with Albania 61st, Ireland 62nd, Bosnia-Herzegovina seventy-fifth and the Kosovan side 84th.

The Albanian national team had a solid qualification run, with their sole losses coming at the hands of their group winners England, who secured maximum points without allowing a solitary goal.

Burnley's Armando Broja and Lazio's Elseid Hysaj are among the Albanian squad's prominent names, though it was ex- Inter Milan, Barcelona and Watford forward Rey Manaj who topped their scoring tally in the qualifiers with three goals.

It is worth noting, the Albanians have never qualified for a FIFA World Cup, although they participated at Euro 2016 and the 2024 Euros, not managing to advance to the knockout stages on both occasions.

While Slovenia and Sweden endured poor runs, with both not managing to win a qualification match, their group was a straight shootout between Switzerland and the Kosovan team.

The Swiss finished the six-match campaign 3 points clear of the Kosovans, whose single loss came at the hands of the pool winners.

Kosovo feature former Manchester City keeper Arijanet Muric and La Liga's Vedat Muriqi – his country's historic top scorer – in a squad aiming for a maiden international competition appearance.

They have not yet played the Welsh team.

Bosnia were defeated only one time in the qualifiers, and claimed a points additional than the Welsh managed in their eight games, but nonetheless ended two points adrift of their group winners Austria.

They were 13 minutes away from securing a place at the World Cup, but Michael Gregoritsch's equaliser for the Austrians ensured the pair drew in the final game of qualification and Ralf Rangnick's team won the group.

Wales have not managed to beat the Bosnian side in four attempts but did have a memorable defeat against the Dragons as they earned qualification for Euro 2016 under Chris Coleman despite losing.

As his country's historic top goalscorer and most-capped player, ex- Manchester City striker Edin Dzeko, now at Fiorentina, is unquestionably Bosnia-Herzegovina's standout player.

The 39-year-old was his team's leading goalscorer in qualifying with five goals.

And finally, we have Ireland.

After taken just one point from their first 3 qualifiers, Heimir Hallgrímsson's side stormed into the play-offs with successive wins against Armenia, Portugal and Hungary.

Troy Parrott scored both goals against the 2016 European Championship winners Portugal before bagging a hat-trick – with the third goal coming in the 96th minute – as the Irish stunned Hungary to secure second spot in their group in dramatic style.

Talisman Seamus Coleman had a crucial role in his side's resurgence while Premier League goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher has made the number one position his own.

The Republic of Ireland are winless in their last 4 meetings with Wales, defeated in three of those, although James McClean broke the hopes of the Red Wall as Martin O'Neill's team won a decisive World Cup qualifying match at Cardiff City Stadium in 2017.