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Wales' focus are firmly on the upcoming World Cup playoff fixture as they await discovering their semi-final and possible final rivals.

Having ended as runners-up in their qualification group following a dominant 7-1 victory over North Macedonia – their biggest win since 1978 – Wales will play the semi-final match on their own turf.

They will meet either Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo or Republic of Ireland in that match on 26 March.

Former Wales forward Rob Earnshaw feels the Dragons will relish a match against any opponent following their most recent result at Cardiff City Stadium.

"I know Craig Bellamy, I played with him and his approach is 'bring on anyone, it doesn't matter'," Earnshaw said.

"A lot of fans were saying recently, 'do we really want Republic of Ireland as it's that local feel?'. I think many people were hesitant. But personally, that could be amazing.

"It's one of those, indeed, we'll take Kosovo or the Bosnians and the Albanians are not bad and Republic of Ireland, naturally, they are a capable team so it will be tough.

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

Potential Playoff Semi-final Rivals Evaluated

The Welsh squad sit 34th in the FIFA standings, with the Albanian team sixty-first, Ireland 62nd, Bosnia-Herzegovina 75th and the Kosovan side 84th.

The Albanian national team enjoyed a strong qualifying run, with their sole defeats coming at the hands of Group K winners England, who claimed full points without conceding a solitary goal.

The Premier League's Armando Broja and the Serie A side's Elseid Hysaj are among the Red and Blacks's prominent players, although it was former Inter Milan, Barcelona and Watford forward Rey Manaj who topped their scoring tally in qualifying with three goals.

Notably, Albania have never earned a spot for a World Cup, although they featured at the 2016 European Championship and Euro 2024, not managing to reach the last 16 on both times.

As Slovenia and Sweden had difficult campaigns, with both not managing to win a qualification match, their group was a straight shootout between Switzerland and Kosovo.

The Switzerland finished the six-game campaign three points clear of the Kosovans, whose one defeat came at the hands of the pool winners.

The Kosovan squad include former Manchester City goalkeeper Arijanet Muric and La Liga's Vedat Muriqi – his country's historic top scorer – in a squad aiming for a first major tournament appearance.

They have not yet played Wales.

Bosnia lost only one time in qualifying, and claimed a points more than Wales achieved in their 8 games, but still ended two points adrift of Group H winners Austria.

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

Wales have not managed to beat the Bosnian side in 4 matches but did have a memorable loss against the Dragons as they qualified for Euro 2016 under Chris Coleman despite losing.

Being his nation's all-time top goalscorer and most-capped player, ex- Manchester City striker Edin Dzeko, now at Fiorentina, is undoubtedly Bosnia's star player.

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

Lastly, we have Ireland.

After secured only a single point from their opening three qualifiers, Heimir Hallgrímsson's side stormed into the play-offs with back-to-back wins against Armenia, Portugal and Hungary.

Troy Parrott netted both goals against the 2016 European Championship winners Portugal before bagging a hat-trick – with the final goal arriving in the 96th minute – as the Irish stunned Hungary to secure runner-up place in their group in dramatic style.

Talisman Seamus Coleman had a crucial role in his team's revival while Premier League goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher has secured the starting jersey his to keep.

Ireland are winless in their past 4 meetings with Wales, defeated in 3 of these, though James McClean shattered the hopes of the Red Wall as Martin O'Neill's men won a decisive World Cup qualifying match at Cardiff City Stadium in 2017.