Cristiano Ronaldo is reportedly planning to retire from international football following one final appearance for Portugal, according to multiple outlets citing a Portuguese agent, with his farewell match expected to come against Wales in the UEFA Nations League on Sept. 24.

The report, which has not been officially confirmed by Ronaldo, Portugal’s football federation or Al Nassr, originated from sports journalist Mohamed Awaad, who said a Portuguese agent told him Ronaldo intends to step away from the national team after just one more match. “He will play against Wales in the UEFA Nations League; the match will be at Lisbon club stadium, Jose Alvalade,” Awaad wrote, citing the agent’s account.

Where the farewell would take place

The reported final appearance would come at Estádio José Alvalade in Lisbon, the home stadium of Sporting CP, the club where Ronaldo began his professional career before departing for Manchester United in 2003. The Football Association of Wales has officially confirmed the venue for the Sept. 24 Nations League opener, adding a layer of symbolic significance to the reported timing, given that a farewell at the stadium where his career began would close the loop on a journey spanning more than two decades in Portugal’s colors.

A record that would remain unmatched

Should Ronaldo step away after the Wales fixture, he would close out an international career of historic scale. He currently holds 233 caps and 146 goals for Portugal, figures that make him both the most capped player and the all-time leading goal scorer in international football history. His trophy collection with the national team includes the UEFA European Championship in 2016 and UEFA Nations League titles in 2019 and 2025.

The timing of the reported retirement follows Portugal’s elimination from the 2026 FIFA World Cup, where the team lost 1-0 to Spain in the round of 16. Ronaldo had already confirmed before that tournament that it would be his final World Cup appearance, a comment that has fueled continued speculation about the broader trajectory of his international career in the months since.

A new coach signals continuity, not upheaval

The reported timeline aligns with the recent appointment of Jorge Jesus as Portugal’s new head coach, who has signed a four-year contract to lead the national team. Jesus has publicly signaled he does not intend to make sweeping changes to the squad upon taking over, a stance that would leave the door open for Ronaldo’s farewell to proceed as reportedly planned.

“People might think that the new manager is going to come in and change a lot of players. That won’t happen. I’m not stupid. On top of that, I don’t have enough time to bring in several players who weren’t called up this time,” Jesus said in comments to Canal 11.

Continued focus at club level

Even if Ronaldo does step away from international duty in September, he is expected to continue playing at the club level. Now 41, Ronaldo remains under contract with Saudi club Al Nassr through the summer of 2027. He currently sits at 976 career goals across his club and international career, and has expressed a goal of reaching 1,000 goals before retiring from football entirely, a milestone that would command his full attention once his Portugal commitments conclude.

A report, not a confirmation

It is worth noting that as of this week, Ronaldo himself has not publicly confirmed any retirement plans, and the reporting has circulated primarily through secondhand accounts attributed to an unnamed Portuguese agent rather than a direct statement from Ronaldo, his representatives or the Portuguese Football Federation. Some outlets covering the story have described the source as credible given the journalist’s track record of covering Ronaldo’s career, but the report remains unconfirmed by official channels.

That distinction has not gone unnoticed among fans and commentators reacting to the coverage. Readers responding to at least one report questioned the strength of the sourcing, with one commenter writing that outlets publishing the story had not delivered concrete proof to match the certainty of their headlines, and another cautioning against publishing definitive retirement claims without solid confirmation.

A career defined by longevity

Speculation about Ronaldo’s international future is not new. Reports have periodically surfaced questioning whether he would continue playing for Portugal following previous tournament disappointments, including similar retirement rumors that circulated after Portugal’s exit from the 2022 World Cup, which Ronaldo later dismissed, saying at the time he believed he could still be useful to the national team.

That history of previous retirement speculation not materializing adds a note of caution to the current round of reports, even as this latest account carries additional specificity, including a proposed date, opponent and stadium, that has lent it more traction across major football outlets than some past rumors.

What comes next

Barring further comment from Ronaldo or Portuguese football officials, the question of his international future is likely to remain a subject of speculation until closer to September’s Nations League opener against Wales. If the reported plan holds, the match at José Alvalade would offer Portuguese fans a chance to formally bid farewell to a player who has spent more than two decades representing the national team, closing out a career that reshaped the record books for both goals scored and appearances made at the international level.

Plans have been submitted for a drive-thru at the Bridgwater Gateway site near junction 24

Plans for a McDonald’s near the M5 in Somerset could create more than 120 new jobs in the local area, should planning permission be granted. The Bridgwater Gateway site sits north of the A38 Taunton Road, close to junction 24 of the motorway, and currently houses ten business units, a Premier Inn hotel, a Lidl supermarket and outlets run by Costa Coffee, Domino’s Pizza and Greggs.

A total of 511 homes are set to be built at the northern end of the site, which falls within the parish of North Petherton. Somerset Council recently approved revised plans for 361 houses submitted by Keepmoat Homes, with the remaining 150 dwellings to be delivered by the Vistry Group.

Bridgwater Gateway has now lodged plans to build a McDonald’s drive-thru on vacant land on Carnival Way, alongside two additional industrial units, with the council anticipated to reach a decision before Christmas.

The development would be built between the Greggs outlet and the Lidl car park, with the McDonald’s positioned at the southern edge of this plot of land.

The primary access point will be via Carnival Way, with a new pedestrian and cycling link provided to the south onto Taunton Road, connecting to the broader ‘green route’ within the Bridgwater local cycling and walking infrastructure plan (LCWIP).

The restaurant and drive-thru will have 37 car parking spaces, together with two disabled bays; two electric vehicle charging points; and 18 cycle spaces.

The trading hours for the McDonald’s have not been outlined within the planning documents, though they are expected to mirror those of the neighbouring businesses in order to curb antisocial behaviour and limit traffic during the evenings and overnight.

The two additional units, which will be of a similar design to the existing units within the broader Gateway site, will be positioned at the north-western corner, alongside a further six parking spaces, eight van spaces and two disabled spaces.

A spokesperson for Angus Meek Architects, representing the applicant, said: “The proposals aim to provide accommodation to businesses within an established and sustainable employment location, maximising the potential of a vacant plot and demonstrating an efficient use of existing resources.

“This scheme will provide Bridgwater with additional commercial space which it desperately needs, with units to suit a range of future occupants. This scheme will enhance economic growth within the area.

“The proposal also represents a multi-million-pound investment by a national operator in McDonald’s and the restaurant is expected to employ more than 120 full and part time staff, which the company seeks to recruit from the local area.”

Somerset Council is expected to deliver a decision on the proposals within the next six months. It remains uncertain at present whether the decision will be made by its planning committee north (which manages significant applications in the former Sedgemoor district) or through the authority granted to its planning officers.

An independent autopsy commissioned by the family of Nolan Wells, the 18-year-old Mississippi football player whose death last month drew national attention, found his cause and manner of death “undetermined,” the family’s attorney said Wednesday, while adding that foul play could not be ruled out.

Attorney Ben Crump announced the preliminary findings at a news conference held during the 117th NAACP National Convention. He said the doctor who performed the independent autopsy could not eliminate the possibility of foul play in Wells’ death, based on findings that included red discoloration on the back of the teenager’s head.

What the independent autopsy found

The autopsy was performed by Dr. Roger Mitchell, a board-certified forensic pathologist and president of the National Medical Association, the oldest and largest organization representing Black physicians in the United States. According to Crump, the examination took place July 10, six days after Wells disappeared and four days after his body was recovered from the water off Horn Island, a barrier island along Mississippi’s Gulf Coast.

Crump said the report did not include a toxicology analysis. He also said the report appeared to have significant gaps, which he attributed to missing body parts and incomplete procedures by the time Mitchell examined Wells’ remains. Due to the level of decomposition, Crump said, Mitchell could not determine whether there was any bruising on Wells’ body. The report also noted that portions of Wells’ throat were missing when the body was received for review, a detail Crump said prevented investigators from ruling out injury to the neck as a possible contributing factor or cause of death.

Mitchell’s report additionally could not determine whether Wells was conscious when he entered the water, or how exactly he ended up there, according to Crump.

A separate, still-pending state autopsy

Alongside the independent examination, the Jackson County coroner’s office conducted its own autopsy on Wells’ body. Those results have not yet been released publicly, as the coroner’s office continues to wait on a toxicology report from the state medical examiner’s office. Jackson County Coroner Bruce Lynd told NBC News on Tuesday that the state’s autopsy report remained unfinished.

Crump called on local law enforcement officials to share their findings from the state autopsy with Mitchell, and said Mitchell should be included when a Mississippi grand jury eventually reviews the results of the broader death investigation.

What is known about Wells’ disappearance

Wells was last seen alive on the afternoon of July 4, though the exact time has not been established. He had traveled to Horn Island, an uninhabited, federally protected barrier island accessible only by boat, to celebrate the holiday with a group of high school friends. According to accounts his friends later gave to investigators, the group had to leave the island early after their boat began taking on water, but Wells told them he planned to stay behind and catch a ride back later with others who remained on the island.

Wells did not return home that night, and his mother reported him missing around midnight. His body was discovered two days later, on July 6, by a U.S. Park Service ranger patrolling the island. The Jackson County Sheriff’s Department confirmed the discovery occurred around 8:45 a.m. on the island’s western shore.

The family’s push for answers

Wells’ parents, Christine Wells-Wonsley and Elmore Wonsley, spoke publicly before Crump revealed the independent autopsy’s findings Wednesday. “There’s so many people out in the public asking all of these questions, but the only question that we have is what happened to our son,” Wells-Wonsley said. She said the family pursued an independent autopsy in part because the state-run report had not yet been released. “It is our hope that our local authorities will do what they need to do, because us having the preliminary autopsy results and hearing nothing from them — it’s heartbreaking, and it’s concerning,” she said. “Which again is why we are here, why we have asked for this help.”

Elmore Wonsley echoed his wife’s call for transparency. “We want to know what happened to our son because the things that you’re telling us — that’s not the character of our son. We know our son,” he said.

Crump and Wells’ parents have publicly rejected the notion, previously raised by some in law enforcement, that Wells simply drowned, and have said Wells was a strong swimmer with an athletic build, adding that they believe the circumstances surrounding his death do not add up. At the same time, people familiar with Horn Island have told NBC News it would not be surprising if Wells had been caught in a current and drowned, particularly on the island’s western side, which is known locally for rough water conditions.

A reward for information

Civil rights leader Rev. Al Sharpton, former NFL player Terrell Owens and filmmaker Tyler Perry have jointly offered $125,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of anyone responsible for Wells’ death, Crump announced in a release earlier this week.

A funeral and a case still open

Wells was laid to rest Monday in a ceremony in his hometown of Ocean Springs, Mississippi, followed by a gathering for his friends, family and teammates. At the funeral, held at Center Pointe Church, his mother remembered him warmly. “Nolan had such a gentle, calming spirit about him. He had a way of making people feel seen, welcome, and valued,” Wells-Wonsley said during the service. “He could lift your confidence with just a few words and make you feel like you belonged.”

The investigation into Wells’ death remains ongoing, with the state autopsy results still pending and no determination yet made on cause or manner of death by either the independent or state examinations. This is a developing story, and further findings are expected as both investigations continue.

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Seeking Alpha’s Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.

Shares of Dell Technologies surged more than 10% Wednesday morning after rival server maker Super Micro Computer delivered an unexpectedly strong preliminary earnings update, boosting investor confidence across the broader artificial intelligence infrastructure sector.

Dell shares traded at $445.69 as of 10:45 a.m. Eastern time, up $41.54, or 10.28%, on the day. The rally builds on gains that began in after-hours trading Tuesday, when Dell shares initially climbed roughly 5.4% following Super Micro’s announcement, before extending further into Wednesday’s regular session.

What sparked the rally

The move was triggered by a preliminary business update from Super Micro Computer, one of Dell’s chief competitors in the AI server market. Super Micro disclosed that its gross margins for the fiscal fourth quarter, which ended June 30, are now estimated in the range of 15% to 17%, a dramatic improvement compared with the company’s own prior guidance of roughly 8.2% to 8.4%. Super Micro attributed the sharp margin increase primarily to a more favorable mix of customers and products.

Although the update came from a competitor rather than Dell itself, investors interpreted the news as a positive signal for the entire AI server ecosystem, reflecting healthier pricing dynamics and stronger underlying demand conditions across the sector. That sympathy move helped drive gains not just for Dell but for other companies tied to AI infrastructure buildout as well.

Dell’s own AI positioning

The rally comes as Dell has built an increasingly prominent position in the AI infrastructure market over the past year. The company has reported an AI server backlog of $51.3 billion, representing approximately 85.5% of its full-year sales target, and has raised its overall revenue guidance to $60 billion on the strength of AI-related demand.

Dell’s partnership with Nvidia has played a central role in that positioning, allowing the company to offer integrated AI infrastructure solutions aimed at enterprises with complex deployment needs. The company has also expanded its AI-related partnerships more broadly, including a collaboration announced earlier this year with OpenAI to bring its Codex coding tool to hybrid and on-premise enterprise environments, an approach aimed at businesses that prefer to run AI tools on their own servers for security and compliance reasons rather than relying solely on public cloud infrastructure.

A volatile year for Dell shares

Wednesday’s jump adds to what has already been an extraordinarily volatile year for Dell’s stock. Shares are up significantly year-to-date, following a series of sharp swings tied to AI-related news. In late May, Dell shares closed up nearly 33% in a single session, marking the company’s best trading day on record, after first-quarter results showed AI server revenue had surged more than sevenfold year-over-year to $16.1 billion. That report prompted Ben Reitzes, head of technology research at Melius, to say he had “never seen anything like” Dell’s quarterly results at the time.

The stock has also seen notable single-day drops this year, including a 14% decline reported in mid-July, underscoring how sensitive Dell shares have become to shifting sentiment around AI infrastructure spending and competitive dynamics within the server market.

A politically notable shareholder

Dell’s stock moves this year have drawn additional attention due to disclosed stock purchases by President Donald Trump. Government ethics filings reviewed by financial outlets show Trump purchased Dell shares on multiple occasions in 2025 and early 2026, including a purchase of roughly $770,000 worth of shares in February at around $126 per share. Trump has publicly referenced the company on at least two occasions this year, including remarks at a White House Mother’s Day event in May, where he thanked Dell’s chairman and chief executive Michael Dell and his wife Susan Dell by name. Dell shares rose sharply following that appearance, though the move also coincided with strong underlying AI order data building in the background at the time.

Analyst outlook

Wall Street’s consensus price target for Dell currently sits in the range of $483 to $490, implying further upside of roughly 18% to 22% from recent trading levels before Wednesday’s jump. Coverage of the stock currently includes a large number of Buy ratings alongside a smaller group of Hold ratings, with no major bank currently maintaining an active Sell rating on the shares. Susquehanna’s Mehdi Hosseini holds one of the more bullish targets on Wall Street at $700, while Morgan Stanley’s Erik Woodring has taken a more measured stance, upgrading his rating from Underweight earlier this year to Equal Weight, with a price target of $477, reflecting a view that Dell’s underlying AI business is real but that the stock is not inexpensive at current valuations.

With Super Micro’s full quarterly results still pending confirmation beyond Tuesday’s preliminary update, investors will be watching for additional detail on the sustainability of the improved margins that sparked Wednesday’s rally. Dell’s own next quarterly earnings report will offer a more direct look at whether the company’s AI server backlog and revenue guidance continue to translate into the kind of margin improvement now being priced into shares of its competitors.

For now, Wednesday’s gain reflects the broader market’s continued sensitivity to any signal, positive or negative, about the health of AI infrastructure spending, a dynamic that has made shares of companies like Dell and Super Micro among the more volatile trades on Wall Street throughout 2026.

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Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have a beneficial long position in the shares of MSFT either through stock ownership, options, or other derivatives. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

Seeking Alpha’s Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.

Chick-fil-A said Wednesday that a recent security incident may have exposed personal information linked to a limited number of customer loyalty accounts.

The Atlanta-based fast-food chain told FOX Business that it moved quickly to secure affected accounts and notify customers who may have been impacted.

“We recently identified a security incident that may have affected a limited number of Chick-fil-A One Loyalty accounts,” a company spokesperson said. “Upon discovering the issue, we took steps to immediately address, secure and restore accounts, and we are communicating directly with all customers who may have been impacted.”

CHICK-FIL-A EXPANDS ITS ‘GHOST KITCHEN’ MODEL WITH NEW DELIVERY-ONLY STORE IN FLORIDA

Chick-fil-A said a recent security incident may have exposed personal information linked to a limited number of customer loyalty accounts. (Michael Siluk/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

The spokesperson added that the company “sincerely apologize[s] for any inconvenience or concern” and remains “committed” to maintaining customers’ trust.

The company notified potentially affected customers Monday after discovering suspicious login activity involving certain Chick-fil-A One accounts, USA TODAY reported.

SALADS OUTSELL FRIED FAVORITES AT THIS CALIFORNIA CHICKEN CHAIN GROWING NATIONWIDE

The incident reportedly affected customers in Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington, D.C. (Fox News Digital)

According to the notice, “unauthorized parties” targeted the company’s website and mobile app between June 17 and June 19. The attackers used account credentials obtained from a “third-party source,” the outlet reported.

The incident affected customers in Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington, D.C., according to USA Today.

A DAD REVEALED HOW HIS FAMILY OF 5 EATS AT CHICK-FIL-A FOR UNDER $45

“Unauthorized parties” reportedly targeted the company’s website and mobile app between June 17 and June 19.  (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

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The data that may have been compromised included customers’ names, email addresses, Chick-fil-A One membership and mobile payment numbers, the last four digits of payment cards and the amount of Chick-fil-A credit stored in their accounts.

Chick-fil-A said it reset passwords for affected accounts, restored any impacted loyalty balances and added rewards to customers’ accounts, USA TODAY reported.

Employers should pay no National Insurance on any worker under 25, MPs have told the government, after hearing “overwhelming evidence” that the current regime is pricing young people out of the jobs market.

The Work and Pensions Committee said higher employer National Insurance rates are putting businesses off hiring, with the damage concentrated in the sectors that have always been the first rung of the career ladder: retail and hospitality.

More than one million 16 to 24-year-olds are now not in education, employment or training. The committee called the figure a “travesty”.

For SME owners, the more immediate point is the arithmetic. Employers pay nothing for staff under 21, and nothing for apprentices under 25, until earnings pass £50,270. But take on a 21 to 24-year-old who is not an apprentice and the bill starts at £5,000, at 15 per cent on everything above it.

The result is a cliff edge that lands precisely where most young people are ready to start a proper job. A firm weighing up two similar candidates, one 20 and one 22, faces a materially different payroll cost for the same work. MPs say that gap undermines the government’s own efforts to get this age group into employment.

The committee also cited former minister Alan Milburn’s review of youth unemployment, which found the government spends 25 times more on benefits for young people than on supporting them into work.

The backdrop will be familiar to anyone running a payroll. Firms have been cutting jobs at the fastest pace in four years since the £25bn rise in employer contributions, with more than half of the losses falling in hospitality and retail. Those are the same two sectors the committee identifies as the traditional entry point for younger workers.

Ministers have not been idle. Employers can now claim £3,000 for hiring a jobless 18 to 24-year-old who has been claiming benefits for six months or more, and foundation apprenticeships are being extended into hospitality and retail from April. The committee welcomed the early steps but said further action is essential to prevent long-term harm.

The distinction matters for smaller firms. A grant is a one-off payment against a permanent cost. An NI exemption is structural, it applies automatically through payroll, requires no application, and does not run out. For a business with tight margins and no HR function, that difference is not academic.

There is also a question of what sort of jobs young people are landing when they do get hired. Sheila Flavell CBE, chief operating officer of FDM Group, argues the debate has settled on the wrong metric.

“Recent conversations around graduate employment focus on whether people have jobs but not actually on whether they have the right jobs,” she said. “Underemployment is a growing threat for the UK labour market. We have capable, ambitious graduates working in roles well below their skill level, and that is a waste of talent on a national scale.”

“What’s missing is a practical bridge between education and industry. ‘Earn while you learn’ models and structured, industry-led training give graduates the chance to build real-world experience and move into long-term careers matched to their skills.”

That points to a second opportunity for SMEs. Larger employers dominate formal graduate schemes, but structured on-the-job training is something smaller firms can often do better, and more quickly, than corporates with rigid intake processes. The NEET figure now sitting close to one million represents a very large pool of people nobody is currently competing for.

Whether the Treasury accepts the recommendation is another matter. Extending the under-21 exemption to everyone under 25 carries a cost, and the fiscal position is tight. But the committee’s argument is that the alternative is more expensive still, paid out in benefits rather than wages.

Amy Ingham

Amy Ingham is a reporter at Business Matters, covering UK business news with a focus on breaking news, business policy, late payments and insolvency. She joined the magazine in 2026 after completing the NCTJ Diploma in Journalism at Harlow College’s journalism school. Her recent reporting includes British Steel’s nationalisation and its impact on SME suppliers, the decline in late payments by large firms, and Insolvency Service director disqualifications. Reach her at aingham@cbmeg.co.uk.