The Welsh team Set to Take on Whichever Opponent in FIFA World Cup Playoff Draw

The team's focus are firmly on Thursday's World Cup playoff fixture as they await discovering their semifinal and potential final opponents.

After finished second in their qualification group thanks to a decisive 7-1 victory over North Macedonia – their largest success since 1978 – the side will play the semi-final encounter on home soil.

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

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

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

"Many fans were wondering recently, 'should we really want Ireland because of that local atmosphere?'. I think many people didn't. But for me, that could be fantastic.

"So it's that type of situation, yes, we'll take the Kosovans or Bosnia and Albania are not bad and Republic of Ireland, of course, they are a very good team so they'll be tough.

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

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The Welsh squad sit 34th in the FIFA standings, with Albania sixty-first, Ireland sixty-second, Bosnia 75th and the Kosovan side 84th.

Albania had a solid qualifying run, with their only losses suffered at the hands of Group K winners England, who claimed maximum points without conceding a single goal.

The Premier League's Armando Broja and the Serie A side's Elseid Hysaj are part of the Albanian squad's prominent players, though it was former Inter Milan, Barcelona and Watford forward Rey Manaj who topped their scoring chart in the qualifiers with three goals.

Notably, Albania have not yet qualified for a FIFA World Cup, though they featured at Euro 2016 and the 2024 Euros, not managing to reach the last 16 on both occasions.

As Slovenia and Sweden had torrid runs, with both failing to win a qualification match, their group was a straight shootout between Switzerland and the Kosovan team.

The Switzerland ended the six-game campaign three points clear of Kosovo, whose single defeat came at the hands of the group winners.

Kosovo include ex- Manchester City keeper Arijanet Muric and La Liga's Vedat Muriqi – his country's historic leading goalscorer – in a squad aiming for a maiden major tournament appearance.

They have never played the Welsh team.

Bosnia-Herzegovina were defeated only one time in qualifying, and earned a point more than the Welsh managed in their 8 games, but nonetheless ended 2 points adrift of Group H winners Austria.

They were 13 minutes away from clinching a place at the World Cup, but Michael Gregoritsch's leveler for the Austrians meant the teams drew in the last game of qualifying and Ralf Rangnick's team topped the group.

Wales have not managed to defeat the Bosnian side in four matches but experienced a memorable loss against the Dragons as they earned qualification for Euro 2016 under Chris Coleman even after the defeat.

Being his nation's all-time top goalscorer and record appearance player, ex- Manchester City forward Edin Dzeko, currently with Fiorentina, is unquestionably Bosnia's standout player.

The 39-year-old was his team's leading goalscorer in qualifying with five goals.

And finally, we have Ireland.

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

Troy Parrott scored both goals against Euro 2016 winners Portugal before scoring a triple – with the third goal coming in the 96th minute – as the Republic of Ireland surprised Hungary to take runner-up place in their group in thrilling style.

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

Ireland are without a win in their last 4 encounters with Wales, defeated in 3 of these, though James McClean shattered the hearts of the Welsh fans as Martin O'Neill's team won a crucial World Cup qualifier at Cardiff City Stadium in 2017.