Lionel Scaloni on Thursday agreed to stay on as coach of Argentina's national football team until after the 2030 World Cup, ending the doubts that had been swirling since this year's World Cup final defeat. Scaloni's decision to renew his contract was announced by Argentine Football Association president Claudio Tapia at a press conference with the 48-year-old manager. Scaloni, who took the Albiceleste to victory at the 2022 tournament in Qatar, told reporters he was as enthusiastic as "on day one". "A new project begins now," he said a month after Lionel Messi, the team's leading light for 20 years, bowed out of international football. Tapia said that Scaloni would be the Argentina manager with the most World Cups under his belt by the time his contract ended. Scaloni had cast doubt on his future with the team after Argentina's 1-0 defeat by Spain in a bad-tempered July 19 World Cup final in New Jersey. He has been coach for eight years, taking over in September 2018, after a traumatic World Cup in Russia, where Argentina were eliminated in the round of 16. Scaloni took over one of the most prestigious jobs in football without any prior experience and built the team into one widely considered the best in Argentine history. Besides the 2022 World Cup he coached Argentina to two Copa America titles, in 2021 and 2024. He now faces the task of taking the team forward without his 39-year-old talisman Messi. "What must remain is this team spirit, this feeling of unity among the players and the people," he said after losing the final to Spain. (AFP) Edited by Cecil Wong

Alex Baena scored from the spot and Marc Pubill added another seconds from time as Spain beat ten-men Czech Republic 2-0 in the Nations League in Prague on Thursday. The win leaves Spain unbeaten in 44 competitive games in a row, including five wins in as many Nations League games this season. Spain, who already secured a quarter-final berth before travelling to Prague, will face England in Madrid on Sunday in their final Group A3 game. Baena scored on 39 minutes after a VAR check revealed Czech midfielder Lukas Ambros had handled the ball inside the box. The Atletico Madrid winger blasted his spot kick past Matej Kovar who touched the ball but failed to clear it. Czech captain Ladislav Krejci was sent off in the 69th minute after bringing down second-half substitute Roberto Fernandez on a counter-attack. It was a deja-vu for the Wolverhampton defender who also got a red card at the end of Spain's 3-1 home win over the Czechs last month. Pubill, another substitute, beat Eindhoven goalkeeper Kovar with a clinical low shot deep into stoppage time after robbing Tomas Soucek. "I want to appreciate the work of the entire team," said Spain coach Luis de la Fuente. "It was a difficult game against an energetic team with an aggressive style. We had moments when it cost us a lot of energy to control the game." De la Fuentes missed Lamine Yamal, Dani Olmo, Rodri and Eric Garcia with injuries while Mikel Oyarzabal was sidelined with flu. Spain got off to a slow start on the chilly evening but never really let the hosts get close throughout the first half. They gradually stepped up their pressure, often confining the Czechs to their box and looking for chances. Fabian Ruiz hit the post with a curling right-footer three minutes from halftime, while Dean Huijsen's header found Kovar's arms. Yeremy Pino, replacing Yamal on the right flank, saw his goal overturned by VAR for offside just two minutes into the second half. The Czechs showed higher spirits after the break, but David Zima tipped the ball over the bar from close range and Adam Hlozek's glancing header landed on the top of the crossbar. The Czechs lost momentum after the red card, but Baena had two efforts cleared by Kovar and Fernandez saw his shot stopped by Kovar and then hit the post. "The score could have been higher but we struggled with the finish," said de la Fuente. He added Yamal and Oyarzabal would rejoin the team ahead of the England game. "We have good news, they will join us tomorrow and will be ready for the England game," he continued. "If everything goes well, they can both play 90 minutes." The hosts, led by de la Fuente's long-time collaborator Santi Denia, have lost all their Nations League games this season. They are next travelling to Croatia for a game they need to win to stay in the top tier of the competition for the next edition. (AFP) Edited by Cecil Wong

Harry Kane pledged he would play for England "for as long as I can" after winning a record 126th cap against Croatia on Thursday. The England captain scored from the penalty spot as Thomas Tuchel's team won 2-1 at Wembley to guarantee a spot in the Nations League quarter-finals in March. The 33-year-old, who won the Ballon d'Or last month, moved clear of former goalkeeper Peter Shilton, who won 125 caps during his long career. Shilton was part of a pre-match presentation to honour the Three Lions captain, along with Football Association patron Prince William. A giant banner was raised before kick-off with a picture of Kane and the words "England's Finest". The skipper, who showed off his Ballon d'Or trophy to the Wembley crowd before the match, described the occasion as "incredible". "I was trying to play it cool, I was trying to not smile too much, not give away too much emotion," he said. "Obviously I try to stay focused on the job." Kane added: "I don't know if any of this has sunk in, to be honest with you, maybe in the winter break when I've got a couple of weeks off. "I'll be on the beach somewhere and we'll try and reflect on everything that I've achieved, because these ones are probably the biggest in my career, without a doubt." The Bayern Munich forward said he was inspired by the example set by Croatia veteran Luka Modric, 41, who came on as a late substitute at Wembley. "That inspires me to push the limits," he said. "Like with him, I think you just keep going to see how far your body takes you, your mentality takes you. "Everyone's journey is different, for sure, but... as long as I feel like I can help the national team, as long as I feel like I'm performing at the highest level, then I'll be here for as long as I can. "Whether that's until I'm 40 or not, we'll have to wait and see, but right now, yeah, I'm enjoying every moment." (AFP) Edited by Cecil Wong