The Welsh team Set to Face Anyone in World Cup Play-off Draw

Wales' focus are firmly on the upcoming World Cup playoff fixture as they await learning their semifinal and potential final opponents.

After finished second in their qualifying pool following a commanding 7-1 win over North Macedonia – their biggest success since 1978 – the side will play the semifinal match on their own turf.

They will play against either the Albanian side, Bosnia, Kosovo or Ireland in that match on 26 March.

Ex- Wales forward Rob Earnshaw believes the Welsh squad will embrace a match against any opponent after their latest performance at Cardiff City Stadium.

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

"A lot of supporters were wondering recently, 'do we actually want Republic of Ireland as it's that derby atmosphere?'. I think many supporters didn't. But for me, that could be fantastic.

"So it's one of those, indeed, we're ready for the Kosovans or Bosnia and Albania are not bad and Ireland, naturally, they are a strong team so it will be tough.

"However the sense is that we're prepared for anyone at the moment and it doesn't matter, and much of that is down to Craig Bellamy."

Possible Play-off Semi-final Opponents Assessed

Wales are placed thirty-fourth in the world rankings, with the Albanian team sixty-first, Republic of Ireland 62nd, Bosnia seventy-fifth and the Kosovan side 84th.

Albania had a solid qualification campaign, with their only losses suffered at the hands of their group winners England, who claimed full 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 former Inter Milan, Barcelona and Watford striker Rey Manaj who led their goal chart in the qualifiers with three goals.

It is worth noting, Albania have not yet earned a spot for a World Cup, though they featured at the 2016 European Championship and the 2024 Euros, not managing to advance to the knockout stages on both times.

While Slovenia and Sweden endured difficult runs, with both not managing to win a qualification match, Group B was a direct battle between Switzerland and Kosovo.

The Swiss ended the six-game campaign three points clear of Kosovo, whose one loss was at the hands of the group winners.

The Kosovan squad include former Manchester City keeper Arijanet Muric and La Liga's Vedat Muriqi – his country's all-time leading goalscorer – in a squad targeting a maiden international competition appearance.

They have never faced Wales.

Bosnia-Herzegovina were defeated only one time in the qualifiers, and claimed a point more than the Welsh managed in their 8 games, but nonetheless finished two points adrift of their group winners Austria.

They were a quarter of an hour away from securing a spot at the finals, but Michael Gregoritsch's leveler for the Austrians ensured the pair drew in the last game of qualifying and Ralf Rangnick's team topped the group.

The Welsh have failed to defeat the Bosnians in 4 attempts but experienced a unforgettable loss against Zmajevi as they qualified for the 2016 European Championship under Chris Coleman despite the defeat.

As his nation's all-time leading scorer and most-capped player, former Manchester City forward Edin Dzeko, currently with Fiorentina, is unquestionably Bosnia's standout player.

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

Lastly, we have Republic of Ireland.

After taken only a single point from their first three qualifiers, Heimir Hallgrímsson's side surged into the playoffs with successive wins against Armenia, Portugal and Hungary.

Troy Parrott netted the two goals against Euro 2016 winners Portugal before bagging a triple – with the third goal arriving in the 96th minute – as the Irish surprised Hungary to secure runner-up spot in their group in thrilling style.

Key player Seamus Coleman had a crucial role in his team's resurgence while Brentford goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher has made the number one position his own.

The Republic of Ireland are without a win in their last four encounters with the Welsh, defeated in three of those, though James McClean shattered the hopes of the Red Wall as Martin O'Neill's men won a crucial World Cup qualifier at Cardiff City Stadium in 2017.