Craig Bellamy's squad Set to Challenge Whichever Opponent in FIFA World Cup Qualifying Draw

Wales football team celebration

The team has secured eight of their previous 16 matches with coach Craig Bellamy

The team's focus are squarely on the upcoming World Cup play-off fixture as they prepare for discovering their semi-final and possible final challengers.

After ended as runners-up in their qualifying group following a commanding 7-1 victory over North Macedonia – their biggest win since 1978 – the side will play the semi-final encounter on their own turf.

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

Former Wales striker Rob Earnshaw thinks the Dragons will relish a tie against whichever team following their latest result at Cardiff City Stadium.

"I'm familiar with Craig Bellamy, we were teammates with him and his approach is 'give us whoever, it doesn't matter'," Earnshaw said.

"A lot of supporters were saying recently, 'should we really want Ireland as it's that local feel?'. In my view many supporters were hesitant. But for me, that could be fantastic.

"It's that type of situation, yes, we're ready for the Kosovans or Bosnia and Albania are decent and Republic of Ireland, of course, they are a capable team so they'll be tough.

"However you just feel that we're prepared for anybody right now and we're confident, and much of that is down to Craig Bellamy."

Possible Playoff Semifinal Rivals Assessed

Wales sit 34th in the FIFA standings, with the Albanian team 61st, Ireland 62nd, Bosnia-Herzegovina seventy-fifth and the Kosovan side eighty-fourth.

The Albanian national team enjoyed a strong qualification campaign, with their only defeats coming at the hands of Group K winners England, who secured full points without allowing a single goal.

Burnley'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 led their goal tally in qualifying with 3 goals.

Notably, the Albanians have never qualified for a World Cup, though they featured at the 2016 European Championship and Euro 2024, not managing to reach the knockout stages on each occasions.

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

The Swiss ended the six-match qualifiers three points clear of the Kosovans, whose one defeat came at the hands of the group winners.

The Kosovan squad include former Manchester City keeper Arijanet Muric and La Liga's Vedat Muriqi – his country's historic leading goalscorer – in a squad targeting a first international competition appearance.

They have never played the Welsh team.

Bosnia-Herzegovina lost just once in qualifying, and claimed a point additional than the Welsh achieved in their 8 games, but still 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 teams drew in the last game of qualifying and Ralf Rangnick's team topped the pool.

The Welsh have failed to beat the Bosnian side in 4 matches but experienced a memorable loss against Zmajevi as they earned qualification for the 2016 European Championship under Chris Coleman despite losing.

As his country's historic top goalscorer and record appearance player, former Manchester City forward Edin Dzeko, currently with Fiorentina, is undoubtedly Bosnia-Herzegovina's key player.

The 39-year-old was his team's leading goalscorer in the qualifiers with 5 goals.

Lastly, we have Republic of Ireland.

After taken only a single point from their opening 3 qualifiers, Heimir Hallgrímsson's side surged into the play-offs with back-to-back wins against Armenia, Portugal and Hungary.

Troy Parrott scored the two goals against the 2016 European Championship winners Portugal before bagging a hat-trick – with the final goal arriving in the 96th minute – as the Republic of Ireland surprised Hungary to secure second spot in their group in thrilling style.

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

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

Sabrina Anderson
Sabrina Anderson

A passionate writer and life coach dedicated to empowering others through motivational content and practical advice.