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

Having finished as runners-up in their qualifying group following a decisive 7-1 victory over North Macedonia – their biggest success since 1978 – the side will host the semi-final match on home soil.

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

Ex- Wales striker Rob Earnshaw believes the Dragons will relish a match against whichever opponent following their most recent performance at Cardiff City Stadium.

"I know Craig Bellamy, we were teammates with him and his mindset is 'give us anyone, we're ready'," Earnshaw stated.

"Many fans were saying last night, 'do we really want Republic of Ireland because of that local feel?'. I think many people were hesitant. But personally, that would be incredible.

"It's that type of situation, yes, we'll take Kosovo or Bosnia and Albania are not bad and Republic of Ireland, of course, they are a capable team so it will be challenging.

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

Possible Play-off Semi-final Rivals Evaluated

The Welsh squad are placed 34th in the FIFA standings, with Albania 61st, Republic of Ireland sixty-second, Bosnia 75th and the Kosovan side eighty-fourth.

Albania had a impressive qualifying run, with their only defeats suffered 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 among the Red and Blacks's recognizable players, though it was ex- Inter Milan, Barcelona and Watford striker Rey Manaj who led their goal chart in qualifying with 3 goals.

It is worth noting, Albania have not yet earned a spot for a World Cup, though they featured at Euro 2016 and Euro 2024, failing to reach the last 16 on both occasions.

While Slovenia and Sweden had torrid campaigns, with each failing to win a qualifying match, Group B was a straight shootout between Switzerland and Kosovo.

The Swiss finished the six-match campaign 3 points ahead of the Kosovans, whose single defeat came at the hands of the group winners.

Kosovo include former Manchester City keeper Arijanet Muric and La Liga's Vedat Muriqi – his country's all-time top scorer – in a squad targeting a first major tournament appearance.

They have never faced the Welsh team.

Bosnia-Herzegovina lost only one time in qualifying, and earned a point additional than the Welsh achieved in their 8 games, but still ended two points behind of Group H 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 tied in the final game of qualification and Ralf Rangnick's team won the group.

The Welsh have not managed to defeat the Bosnian side in four attempts but experienced a unforgettable loss against the Dragons as they earned qualification for the 2016 European Championship under Chris Coleman even after the defeat.

Being his country's all-time leading scorer and record appearance player, former Manchester City forward Edin Dzeko, now at Fiorentina, is unquestionably Bosnia's key player.

The veteran was his squad's top scorer in qualifying with 5 goals.

And finally, we have Ireland.

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

Troy Parrott netted both goals against Euro 2016 winners Portugal before scoring a triple – with the third goal coming in the 96th minute – as the Irish stunned Hungary to secure second place in their group in dramatic fashion.

Talisman Seamus Coleman played a vital role in his side's resurgence while Brentford goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher has secured the starting jersey his to keep.

The Republic of Ireland are winless in their last 4 meetings with the Welsh, defeated in three of these, though James McClean broke the hopes of the Red Wall as Martin O'Neill's men won a crucial World Cup qualifier at Cardiff City Stadium in 2017.