The Welsh team Prepared to Face Whichever Opponent in FIFA World Cup Play-off Fixture

The team's focus are firmly on the upcoming World Cup playoff fixture as they await learning their semi-final and possible final rivals.

Having ended second in their qualification group thanks to a commanding 7-1 win over North Macedonia – their biggest win since 1978 – the side will host the semi-final encounter on their own turf.

They will meet either Albania, Bosnia, the Kosovan team or Ireland in that fixture on 26 March.

Former Wales forward Rob Earnshaw believes the Dragons will embrace a match against whichever team after their latest performance at Cardiff City Stadium.

"I know Craig Bellamy, I played with him and his approach is 'bring on anyone, we're ready'," Earnshaw commented.

"A lot of people were wondering recently, 'should we really want Ireland as it's that local atmosphere?'. In my view a number of people were hesitant. But for me, that could be incredible.

"It's one of those, indeed, we're ready for the Kosovans or Bosnia and the Albanians are not bad and Ireland, of course, they're a very good team so they'll be difficult.

"But you just feel that we'll take anybody right now and we're confident, and much of that is down to Craig Bellamy."

Possible Playoff Semifinal Opponents Evaluated

Wales sit thirty-fourth in the FIFA rankings, with Albania 61st, Republic of Ireland 62nd, Bosnia seventy-fifth and Kosovo 84th.

The Albanian national team enjoyed a impressive qualifying campaign, with their only losses coming at the hands of Group K winners England, who secured maximum points without conceding a solitary goal.

Burnley's Armando Broja and Lazio's Elseid Hysaj are part of the Red and Blacks's prominent names, though it was former Inter Milan, Barcelona and Watford forward Rey Manaj who topped their scoring chart in the qualifiers with three goals.

Importantly, Albania have not yet qualified for a FIFA World Cup, although they participated at Euro 2016 and the 2024 Euros, not managing to reach the knockout stages on each occasions.

While Slovenia and Sweden endured difficult campaigns, with both not managing to win a qualification match, Group B was a straight shootout between Switzerland and Kosovo.

The Swiss ended the six-match campaign three points clear of the Kosovans, whose single defeat came at the hands of the group winners.

The Kosovan squad include ex- Manchester City goalkeeper Arijanet Muric and Mallorca's Vedat Muriqi – his nation's historic top scorer – in a squad targeting a maiden international competition appearance.

They have never faced Wales.

Bosnia-Herzegovina lost only one time in the qualifiers, and earned a points more than the Welsh managed in their 8 games, but still finished 2 points adrift of their group winners Austria.

They were 13 minutes away from securing a spot at the finals, but Michael Gregoritsch's leveler for the Austrians ensured the pair drew in the final game of qualifying and Ralf Rangnick's team won the group.

Wales have not managed to defeat the Bosnian side in 4 matches but experienced a unforgettable loss against the Dragons as they qualified for Euro 2016 under Chris Coleman even after losing.

As his nation's historic leading scorer and record appearance player, ex- Manchester City striker Edin Dzeko, currently with Fiorentina, is undoubtedly Bosnia's key player.

The veteran was his squad's leading goalscorer in the qualifiers with five goals.

Lastly, we have Ireland.

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

Troy Parrott netted the two goals against the 2016 European Championship winners Portugal before bagging a triple – with the third goal arriving in the 96th minute – as the Republic of Ireland surprised Hungary to take runner-up spot in Group F in thrilling fashion.

Talisman Seamus Coleman had a crucial role in his side's revival while Brentford keeper Caoimhin Kelleher has secured the number one jersey his own.

The Republic of Ireland are winless in their last four meetings with Wales, defeated in three of these, though James McClean broke the hopes of the Welsh fans as Martin O'Neill's men won a decisive World Cup qualifier at Cardiff City Stadium in 2017.