International Soccer, Golf & NFL
Ronaldo Retires From Portugal Duty as BC Partners Drops $300M LIV Plan
Cristiano Ronaldo ends his 23-year Portugal national team career with a record 146 goals in 234 appearances, private equity firm BC Partners scraps a $300 million rescue package for LIV Golf, and Kelly Stafford criticizes the NFL's Thanksgiving Eve schedule for the Los Angeles Rams.
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A landmark international soccer retirement, a collapsed $300 million private-equity rescue in professional golf, and a dispute over holiday National Football League scheduling headlined sports coverage this week as Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo hung up his No. 7 national shirt, BC Partners exited talks with LIV Golf, and the Los Angeles Rams prepared for the league's inaugural Thanksgiving Eve broadcast.
Cristiano Ronaldo Retires From International Soccer With 146 Goals in 234 Portugal Caps
According to ABC7 News, 41-year-old Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo announced on Thursday that he is retiring from international soccer, concluding a 23-year national team career that began in August 2003 when he replaced Luís Figo in a friendly against Kazakhstan. While Ronaldo will continue playing club soccer through the end of the season with Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia—where he sits at 985 career goals in pursuit of his 1,000th—his final appearance for Portugal came on September 24, 2026, in a 1-0 Nations League home victory over Wales before a disagreement with head coach Jorge Jesus over bench roles.
Ronaldo leaves the international stage holding the men's all-time records with 146 goals and 234 appearances (having become the first man to reach 200 international caps) and scoring in 23 consecutive calendar years from 2004 through 2026. He is the first man to score in 6 World Cups, reaching 11 career World Cup goals during the 2026 tournament to pass Eusébio's previous Portuguese mark of 9, and holds European Championship records of 30 appearances and 14 goals after debuting as a runner-up to Greece at Euro 2004. Whereas Portugal had previously qualified for only three World Cups (1966, 1986, and 2002) and three Euros (1984, 1996, and 2000), Ronaldo led the squad to every major tournament during his tenure, capturing Euro 2016 as well as the 2019 and 2025 Nations League titles alongside a fourth-place World Cup finish in 2006 and a 2022 quarterfinal berth. The Portuguese soccer federation announced plans for an official tribute match following Lionel Messi's Argentina farewell last month.
BC Partners Walks Away From $300 Million LIV Golf Rescue Plan
In sports finance, reports published by The Press and The Press national desk on November 4 and November 5, 2026, stated that private equity firm BC Partners scrapped its proposed $300 million rescue plan for LIV Golf due to insufficient player commitments, leaving the golf league facing potential liquidation.
Matthew Stafford's Wife Criticizes NFL Over Rams' Thanksgiving Eve Game
On the gridiron, The Press reported that Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford's wife publicly criticized the National Football League over an apparent scheduling disadvantage after the league slotted Los Angeles into the first-ever Thanksgiving Eve game, a midweek turnaround that deprives the Rams of a true bye week.
Sources
- Portugal great Cristiano Ronaldo has announced his retirement from international soccer
- LIV Golf shutdown imminent? New financial backer pulls funding from fledging league
- LIV Golf faces liquidation after BC Partners scraps rescue plan
- Matthew Stafford's wife calls out NFL over apparent scheduling disadvantage given to Rams
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