Los Angeles Chargers are a professional football team that plays in the National Football League (NFL) . The team competes in the West Division of the American Football Conference. The Chargers play their home games at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, southwest of downtown Los Angeles. The team was formerly called the San Diego Chargers. In January 2017, the team announced it was moving to the Los Angeles area for the 2017-2018 season and changed its name to the Los Angeles Chargers.
The team was founded in 1959 and was one of the original eight franchises that formed the American Football League (AFL). The league began competition in 1960, when the Chargers were based in Los Angeles. The team moved to San Diego in 1961. From 1960 to 1965, the Chargers advanced to the AFL championship game five times, winning the 1963 AFL championship.
The Chargers entered the NFL in 1970, when the AFL and NFL merged. The team had a losing record throughout much of the 1970’s before winning a division championship in 1979. In 1995, the team played in Super Bowl XXIX, but lost to the San Francisco 49ers . The Chargers won their division all four years from 2006 to 2009, but they have not won their division since then.
Los Angeles Chargers legends have included flanker and wide receiver Lance Alworth (1962-1970), quarterback Dan Fouts (1973-1987), quarterback John Hadl (1962-1972), wide receiver Charlie Joiner (1976-1986), offensive tackle Ron Mix (1960-1969), linebacker Junior Seau (1990-2002), running back LaDainian Tomlinson (2001-2009), and tight end Kellen Winslow (1979-1987). Recent stars have included wide receiver Keenan Allen, tight end Antonio Gates, quarterback Philip Rivers, and safety Eric Weddle.