Chargers will play in a different country in 2025, and it's a great opportunity to expand the fan base

The Los Angeles Chargers are going to Brazil. According to Brazilian sports news website Lance, the Chargers will play in Neo Quimica Arena, in São Paulo, the same stadium that hosted the Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers in Week 1 of the 2024 season.

The Chargers' opponent is not set yet. The game will be in September, and it is expected to be in Week 1 again, possibly on Friday. The logistics of making the game on Friday, a day after the Opening Kickoff, was approved by the league because the teams that play in Brazil have time to return to the United States in time for the preparation for Week 2 to not be affected.

Brazil is a big market for the NFL. A recent study by the league indicated it's the third American football market in the world, right after the United States and Mexico. The official announcement is expected to happen before the Super Bowl.

Possible opponents

In 2025, AFC teams will have an extra home game, and that's why the NFL has prioritized them to host international games. Next season, the Chargers will have home games against the Kansas City Chiefs, Denver Broncos, Las Vegas Raiders, Houston Texans, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Commanders, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Minnesota Vikings.

It's unlikely that the NFL would send a divisional game to Brazil. Moreover, the Colts are set to play in Germany, and the Steelers are expected to play in Ireland. As the Eagles have already played in Brazil last year, the more likely teams are the Texans, Commanders, and Vikings.

International history

The Chargers have already played seven international games in their history—the last three of them were recent regular season games. But the history goes back to 1976, when the San Diego Chargers lost to the St. Louis Cardinals 20-10 in an exhibition game in Tokyo, Japan.

It will be the Chargers' second game in Latin America, as they have played the Chiefs in Mexico in 2019.

• 1976 Chargers 10-20 St. Louis Cardinals (Tokyo, Japan) - preseason
• 1994 Chargers 20-28 New York Giants (Berlin, Germany) - preseason
• 1996 Chargers 20-10 Pittsburgh Steelers (Tokyo, Japan) - preseason
• 1999 Chargers 17-20 Denver Broncos (Sydney, Australia) - preseason
• 2008 Chargers 32-37 New Orleans Saints (London, UK) - regular season
• 2018 Chargers 20-19 Tennessee Titans (London, UK) - regular season
• 2019 Chargers 17-24 Kansas City Chiefs (Mexico City, Mexico) - regular season