Chargers will have another international game in 2019, this time against Chiefs
By Travis Wakeman
The Los Angeles Chargers will be traveling to another country next season. This time, it won’t be in London.
Following two riveting conference championship games on Sunday, the NFL announced its 2019 international series. The Chargers, who traveled to Wembley Stadium this past season and earned a narrow win over the Tennesee Titans.
Next season, it will be Stadium Azteca as the site of a “home” game for the Chargers but this time, the Kansas City Chiefs will be the opponent.
The Chiefs were supposed to play a game against the Los Angeles Rams in that stadium this past season, but the game was moved to Los Angeles due to poor field conditions. The NFL will get the other L.A. team into Mexico next year, and there should be plenty of support for the Chargers in that game.
The road trip to Mexico City is actually a shorter distance than the Chargers will travel to face some of their other opponents next season, such as the Miami Dolphins and Jacksonville Jaguars.
Huge of the NFL to put Chiefs-Chargers in Mexico. Now Kansas City only gets one home game against the Chargers instead of the usual two.
— Will Brinson (@WillBrinson) January 21, 2019
It will mark just the fourth regular season game in NFL played in Mexico, though the country has hosted many preseason games.
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There are a couple of ways to look at this for the Chargers. On one hand, it’s tough to lose a home game against a key divisional opponent, but since they haven’t beaten the Chiefs at home since December 2013, playing them at a neutral site might not necessarily be a bad thing.
In addition, it gives the Chargers a chance to appeal to a different fanbase. If the NFL ever grows into Mexico the way it hopes it can in the future, the teams in the L.A. market are two that could catch the eye of fans in that area.
The Chargers have a 1-1 all-time record in international games during the regular season. They also have a 1-2 record in the preseason in games played in other countries, including trips to Japan and Australia.
The exact date of the game will be announced at a later time, but Mexico will be getting a game between what was arguably the second and third best teams in the AFC this season.