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Wales' attention are firmly on Thursday's World Cup play-off fixture as they await learning their semifinal and potential final challengers.

Having ended second in their qualifying group following a decisive 7-1 victory over North Macedonia – their largest success since 1978 – the side will host the semi-final match on their own turf.

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

Ex- Wales striker Rob Earnshaw believes the Welsh squad will relish a match against whichever team following their most recent result at Cardiff City Stadium.

"I'm familiar with Craig Bellamy, I played with him and his approach is 'give us whoever, we're ready'," Earnshaw commented.

"Many fans were saying recently, 'do we really want Republic of Ireland because of that derby feel?'. I think many people were hesitant. But personally, that could be fantastic.

"It's one of those, indeed, we're ready for Kosovo or the Bosnians and Albania are not bad and Republic of Ireland, of course, they are a strong team so it will be difficult.

"But you just feel that we'll take anyone at the moment and we're confident, and a lot of that is because of Craig Bellamy."

Potential Playoff Semifinal Rivals Evaluated

The Welsh squad sit thirty-fourth in the FIFA standings, with Albania sixty-first, Ireland 62nd, Bosnia-Herzegovina seventy-fifth and Kosovo eighty-fourth.

The Albanian national team enjoyed a solid qualification campaign, with their sole losses coming at the hands of Group K winners England, who secured full points without allowing a single goal.

Burnley's Armando Broja and Lazio's Elseid Hysaj are part of the Red and Blacks's recognizable players, although it was former Inter Milan, Barcelona and Watford striker Rey Manaj who topped their scoring chart in qualifying with 3 goals.

Importantly, the Albanians have not yet qualified for a World Cup, although they featured at Euro 2016 and Euro 2024, not managing to advance to the last 16 on both times.

As Slovenia and Sweden had torrid runs, with each not managing to win a qualification match, Group B was a straight shootout between Switzerland and the Kosovan team.

The Switzerland finished the six-game campaign three points clear of the Kosovans, whose single loss was at the hands of the group winners.

Kosovo include former Manchester City keeper Arijanet Muric and La Liga's Vedat Muriqi – his nation's historic top scorer – in a squad targeting a maiden international competition appearance.

They have not yet played the Welsh team.

Bosnia lost only one time in the qualifiers, and claimed a points more than Wales managed in their 8 games, but nonetheless ended 2 points adrift of their group winners Austria.

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

Wales have not managed to defeat the Bosnian side in four matches but did have a unforgettable defeat against Zmajevi as they earned qualification for the 2016 European Championship under Chris Coleman even after losing.

Being his nation's all-time leading scorer and most-capped player, former Manchester City striker Edin Dzeko, now at Fiorentina, is unquestionably Bosnia-Herzegovina's standout player.

The veteran was his squad's leading goalscorer in the qualifiers with 5 goals.

And finally, we have Ireland.

Having taken only a single point from their opening three matches, Heimir Hallgrímsson's side stormed into the playoffs 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 arriving in the 96th minute – as the Irish surprised Hungary to take runner-up place in Group F in thrilling fashion.

Key player Seamus Coleman played a vital role in his team's resurgence while Brentford keeper Caoimhin Kelleher has made the starting position his own.

Ireland are winless in their last 4 encounters with the Welsh, defeated in three of these, although James McClean shattered the hopes of the Welsh fans as Martin O'Neill's team won a decisive World Cup qualifier at Cardiff City Stadium in 2017.