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

After finished as runners-up in their qualifying group following a decisive 7-1 win over North Macedonia – their largest success since 1978 – Wales will host the semi-final match on home soil.

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

Former Wales forward Rob Earnshaw feels the Welsh squad will embrace a match against whichever team following their latest performance at Cardiff City Stadium.

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

"Many fans were wondering last night, 'should we really want Ireland because of that derby feel?'. I think a number of people didn't. But personally, that would be fantastic.

"So it's one of those, yes, we'll take the Kosovans or the Bosnians and the Albanians are not bad and Republic of Ireland, of course, they're a capable team so it will be challenging.

"However the sense is that we'll take anyone right now and we're confident, and much of that is because of Craig Bellamy."

Possible Playoff Semifinal Opponents Evaluated

Wales sit 34th in the FIFA standings, with Albania sixty-first, Republic of Ireland sixty-second, Bosnia-Herzegovina seventy-fifth and the Kosovan side eighty-fourth.

The Albanian national team had a strong qualifying run, with their only defeats coming at the hands of their group winners England, who secured maximum points without conceding a single goal.

The Premier League's Armando Broja and Lazio's Elseid Hysaj are among the Albanian squad's recognizable names, although it was former Inter Milan, Barcelona and Watford forward Rey Manaj who led their scoring tally in the qualifiers with 3 goals.

Importantly, Albania have not yet earned a spot for a World Cup, although they featured at the 2016 European Championship and the 2024 Euros, not managing to reach the knockout stages on each occasions.

While 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 Swiss finished the six-match qualifiers three points clear of the Kosovans, whose one loss came at the hands of the group winners.

The Kosovan squad feature former Manchester City goalkeeper Arijanet Muric and Mallorca's Vedat Muriqi – his nation's historic top scorer – in a squad targeting a maiden major tournament appearance.

They have never faced Wales.

Bosnia lost just once in the qualifiers, and earned a point more than Wales managed in their 8 games, but still finished 2 points behind of their group 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 teams tied in the last game of qualification and Ralf Rangnick's team won the group.

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

As his nation's historic leading scorer and most-capped player, ex- Manchester City forward Edin Dzeko, currently with Fiorentina, is unquestionably Bosnia's key player.

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

Lastly, we have Ireland.

After secured just one point from their first 3 qualifiers, Heimir Hallgrímsson's side stormed into the playoffs with successive wins against Armenia, Portugal and Hungary.

Troy Parrott netted both goals against Euro 2016 winners Portugal before scoring a hat-trick – with the final goal coming in the 96th minute – as the Irish stunned Hungary to secure second place in Group F in thrilling style.

Talisman Seamus Coleman played a crucial role in his team's resurgence while Premier League goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher has secured the number one position his own.

Ireland are without a win in their past four encounters with Wales, defeated in three of these, though James McClean broke the hearts of the Red Wall as Martin O'Neill's team won a crucial World Cup qualifying match at Cardiff City Stadium in 2017.