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

After ended as runners-up in their qualification pool following a decisive 7-1 victory over North Macedonia – their biggest success since 1978 – the side will host the semifinal match on home soil.

They will face either the Albanian side, Bosnia, Kosovo or Republic of Ireland in that match on 26 March.

Ex- Wales striker Rob Earnshaw feels the Dragons will relish a tie against whichever team after their most recent performance at Cardiff City Stadium.

"I know Craig Bellamy, I played with him and his mindset is 'bring on anyone, we're ready'," Earnshaw commented.

"Many supporters were asking last night, 'should we really want Ireland because of that local atmosphere?'. I think a number of supporters didn't. But personally, that would be amazing.

"So it's that type of situation, yes, we're ready for the Kosovans or Bosnia and the Albanians are competitive and Ireland, of course, they're a very good team so it will be tough.

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

Possible Play-off Semifinal Opponents Reviewed

The Welsh squad sit thirty-fourth in the world standings, with the Albanian team sixty-first, Republic of Ireland 62nd, Bosnia-Herzegovina 75th and Kosovo eighty-fourth.

The Albanian national team had a impressive qualification run, with their sole defeats coming at the hands of Group K winners England, who claimed full points without allowing a single goal.

The Premier League's Armando Broja and the Serie A side's Elseid Hysaj are part of the Albanian squad's recognizable players, though it was former Inter Milan, Barcelona and Watford striker Rey Manaj who topped their scoring chart in qualifying with 3 goals.

It is worth noting, Albania have not yet qualified for a FIFA World Cup, although they featured at the 2016 European Championship and Euro 2024, failing to advance to the last 16 on each occasions.

While Slovenia and Sweden had torrid runs, with both not managing to win a qualifying match, Group B was a direct battle between Switzerland and the Kosovan team.

The Swiss ended the six-game campaign three points ahead of the Kosovans, whose single loss came at the hands of the pool winners.

Kosovo feature ex- Manchester City goalkeeper Arijanet Muric and Mallorca's Vedat Muriqi – his country's all-time top scorer – in a squad aiming for a first international competition appearance.

They have not yet played the Welsh team.

Bosnia were defeated just once in the qualifiers, and earned a point more than the Welsh managed in their 8 games, but nonetheless finished 2 points behind of Group H winners Austria.

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

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

As his nation's historic top goalscorer and most-capped player, former Manchester City striker Edin Dzeko, currently with Fiorentina, is unquestionably Bosnia's star player.

The 39-year-old was his team's top scorer in qualifying with 5 goals.

And finally, we have Republic of Ireland.

After secured only a single point from their first 3 qualifiers, Heimir Hallgrímsson's side stormed into the play-offs with successive wins against Armenia, Portugal and Hungary.

Troy Parrott netted both goals against the 2016 European Championship winners Portugal before bagging a triple – with the final goal arriving in the 96th minute – as the Irish stunned Hungary to take second spot in their group in dramatic fashion.

Talisman Seamus Coleman played a vital role in his side's revival while Premier League goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher has secured the number one position his to keep.

The Republic of Ireland are winless in their past four encounters with Wales, losing three of these, although James McClean shattered the hearts of the Welsh fans as Martin O'Neill's team won a decisive World Cup qualifier at Cardiff City Stadium in 2017.