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The team's attention are firmly on the upcoming World Cup playoff fixture as they await learning their semi-final and potential final challengers.

Having finished as runners-up in their qualification group thanks to a decisive 7-1 victory over North Macedonia – their biggest win since 1978 – the side will host the semifinal encounter on their own turf.

They will play against either Albania, Bosnia, the Kosovan team or Republic of Ireland in that fixture on 26 March.

Former Wales forward Rob Earnshaw thinks the Welsh squad will embrace a tie against any team following their latest performance at Cardiff City Stadium.

"I know Craig Bellamy, I played with him and his approach is 'give us anyone, we're ready'," Earnshaw said.

"Many supporters were saying last night, 'do we actually want Ireland because of that derby atmosphere?'. In my view many people were hesitant. But personally, that would be amazing.

"It's one of those, indeed, we'll take the Kosovans or Bosnia and the Albanians are decent and Ireland, naturally, they are a very good team so they'll be difficult.

"But the sense is that we'll take anybody at the moment and it doesn't matter, and a lot of that is because of Craig Bellamy."

Possible Playoff Semifinal Rivals Assessed

The Welsh squad sit 34th in the world standings, with Albania sixty-first, Republic of Ireland 62nd, Bosnia-Herzegovina seventy-fifth and Kosovo 84th.

Albania enjoyed a impressive qualification campaign, with their only defeats suffered at the hands of Group K winners England, who claimed maximum points without conceding a single goal.

Burnley's Armando Broja and the Serie A side's Elseid Hysaj are part of the Albanian squad's recognizable players, although it was former Inter Milan, Barcelona and Watford striker Rey Manaj who led their goal tally in the qualifiers with 3 goals.

It is worth noting, the Albanians have never earned a spot for a FIFA World Cup, though they featured at Euro 2016 and Euro 2024, failing to reach the knockout stages on both occasions.

While Slovenia and Sweden had poor campaigns, with both not managing to win a qualifying match, their group was a direct battle between Switzerland and the Kosovan team.

The Swiss ended the six-game campaign three points ahead of the Kosovans, whose one defeat came at the hands of the group winners.

Kosovo feature ex- Manchester City goalkeeper Arijanet Muric and Mallorca's Vedat Muriqi – his country's historic leading goalscorer – in a team targeting a maiden major tournament appearance.

They have never played the Welsh team.

Bosnia-Herzegovina were defeated just once in qualifying, and claimed a point additional than the Welsh achieved in their 8 games, but nonetheless finished two points behind of their group winners Austria.

They were 13 minutes away from clinching a spot at the finals, but Michael Gregoritsch's equaliser for the Austrians ensured the pair tied in the last game of qualifying and Ralf Rangnick's team won the group.

The Welsh have not managed to defeat the Bosnians in 4 attempts but experienced a unforgettable defeat against Zmajevi as they earned qualification for the 2016 European Championship under Chris Coleman even after losing.

Being his nation's historic top goalscorer and record appearance player, ex- Manchester City striker Edin Dzeko, now at Fiorentina, is undoubtedly Bosnia's key player.

The 39-year-old was his squad's leading goalscorer in qualifying with 5 goals.

And finally, we have Republic of Ireland.

After secured just one point from their first three matches, Heimir Hallgrímsson's side surged into the playoffs with back-to-back wins against Armenia, Portugal and Hungary.

Troy Parrott netted the two goals against the 2016 European Championship winners Portugal before bagging a hat-trick – with the final goal coming in the 96th minute – as the Irish stunned Hungary to take second spot in their group in dramatic style.

Key player Seamus Coleman had a crucial role in his side's resurgence while Premier League goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher has made the starting position his own.

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