It’s a summer of soccer in North America, and the Portland Hearts of Pine, Maine’s professional men’s soccer team, is partnering with several organizations to bring three World Cup-themed events to Portland.

The headliner, in partnership with Portland Downtown, will be a free outdoor doubleheader watch party in Monument Square on June 19. The day opens with the United States men’s national team playing Australia in a group stage game at 3 p.m. Fans are encouraged to stick around the downtown area and then enjoy watching the Hearts of Pine’s road game at Westchester SC at 7 p.m.

A similar watch party was hosted for the 2022 World Cup. On a cold and gray November day, about 1,500 fans filled the downtown space to watch the USA vs. England match, said Cary Tyson, executive director of Portland Downtown.

“It was a lot of fun and things are different now in a better way,” Tyson said. “That was pre-Hearts of Pine. There was a soccer club that was proposed, but they hadn’t gotten a name, the branding. Now we have some incredible soccer culture, so we think it will be even bigger and better than it was four years ago.”

The Hearts of Pine are in the process of attempting to get a permit — known as a Public Viewing License — from FIFA, the international organization that owns the rights and profits from soccer’s World Cup games, merchandise and activities. In Massachusetts, 13 of 17 municipalities that received grant funding from the state to host World Cup-related fan festivals have not received permits, according to articles in The Boston Globe.

“We submitted our application roughly two months ago and, like communities across the country, we are currently waiting for FIFA’s review and approval,” said Lisa Frates, the Hearts of Pine’s senior manager for marketing and communications in a statement. “Portland Downtown has been leading that process locally, and we’ll share more details as soon as the permit is finalized.”

On Tuesday, Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey said the state has received assurances that the FIFA permits would be approved in her state within the week, according to WBUR.

The outdoor watch party will include a beer garden, a Hearts of Pine merchandise tent, and a pep rally performance by The Valentine Band in between the two matches. The Valentine Band is a core part of the atmosphere at Hearts of Pine games. The second-year club has sold out all 23 home matches at Fitzpatrick Stadium, and this season is averaging well over 6,000 fans per match.

Dubbed the Maine Soccer Summer by the Hearts of Pine, the three-event series begins with a watch party on Friday, June 12, at the State Theatre for the U.S. vs. Paraguay match. Doors open at 8 p.m. and kickoff is set for 9 p.m. Admission to the State Theatre is free, but tickets are limited. An RSVP is required.

The third event will be a Footy Fest on Sunday, July 19, which is the day of the World Cup final. Footy Fest will be a day of play to celebrate soccer and hosted in partnership with Soccer Maine, Kennedy Park FC and Kennedy Park Pickup Soccer. Multi-generational pickup soccer games will be played from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., with knockout rounds from noon to 1:30 p.m., at Kennedy Park. Music, food trucks and appearances by Hearts of Pine players will add to the festival feel.

The Hearts of Pine are encouraging fans to go to the local soccer-loving venue of their choice to watch the World Cup final.

“Maine has proven again and again that it shows up for soccer,” said Hearts of Pine Founder Gabe Hoffman-Johnson in a press release. “From packed watch parties to sold-out matches at Fitzpatrick Stadium, this community has helped make the game feel bigger, louder, and more connected here. This programming is about bringing people together around that energy.”