Whether you are a year-round fan of soccer (or football, depending on who you ask), or you haven’t given the sport any attention since middle school, the World Cup has a great reputation of bringing people together to cheer on their nation in the same vein as the winter or summer Olympics.
This year’s World Cup, hosted in Qatar, is the first ever to be not be held in the summer, but us Portlanders are not going to let the cooler temps stop us from enjoying the competition.
We’ve laid out the best spots around the city where you can soak up the games in the coming weeks, including one very unique Black Friday event.
USL to Portland, the movement to bring professional soccer to Portland, is using the World Cup as a way to build upon and energize the already large fanbase of soccer in the area, with watch parties happening all throughout Portland through the entirety of the World Cup.
The main event comes on Black Friday, November 25th, with a massive, public watch party right in Monument Square at 2:00PM for the Round 1 USA vs England match!
Come feel the energy of the crowd as you cheer on the United States on the big screen! This is sure to invigorate the spirit of the World Cup into all who come to watch, as the crowd roots for our home team together.
Even better – stick around after the game for the Monument Square tree lighting ceremony which follows shortly after!
94 Commercial Street, Portland, ME, USA Andy’s Old Port Pub
Andy’s Old Port Pub
If you’re even a little familiar with Andy’s Old Port Pub, you probably have no surprise to see them on this list. The people at Andy’s are big soccer fans (world football, if you ask them), and they’ll be going all out while broadcasting every game of the World Cup.
Not only do they regularly open at 7:30 AM for first kickoff, but this year, they are giving away “Your Cup for the World Cup” (shown above). These 16-oz resuable cups are free to get and will grab you $1-off every refill during a World Cup match.
Be sure to check them out Sunday, December 4th for their Round of 16 watch party with USL to Portland! Games will be at 10:00AM and 2:00PM.
Is there any better combination than beer and sports? Indulge in both at one of Portland’s most popular breweries – Bissell Brothers, as they showcase all games during open hours!
Pour your favorite pint and cheers to the home team as Bissells will be teaming with USL to Portland for a watch party on Monday, November 21st at 2:00PM for the USA vs Wales match – The US’s first match of the World Cup!
336 Fore St, Portland, ME 04101, USA Dock Fore
If cheap beer is your goal, it’s hard to beat the $1.95 Bud pints at Dock Fore, and they’ll be serving them up for almost all of the World Cup games this year.
Throughout the tournament, they’ll be opening up with special hours for the 11:00AM games, the 10:00AM games, as well as a special 9:00AM opening for the final match, with Bud pouring for less than $2 a pint during every match!
396 Fore St, Portland, ME 04101, USAAd Gritty McDuff’s
Fans of Premier League soccer know that Gritty’s isn’t against opening a bit early to be ready for kickoff.
They’ll be doing that again on Saturday, December 3rd for a USL to Portland Watch Party, featuring the first two matches of the World Cup’s Round of 16, at 10:00AM and 2:00PM. Stop in early on Saturday and help yourself to Gritty’s rare breakfast menu, being served for the first match that day.
You won’t have to wait for December to enjoy the World Cup at Maine’s original brewpub, however; they’ll be showing every game during normal business hours for every other day of the tournament.
More big fans of soccer, The Portland Zoo is getting ready to rock the upcoming World Cup!
They’ll be opening in time for the first kickoff at 11:00AM this Sunday, November 20th, and then opening at 2:00PM through next week (closed on Thanksgiving).
Beginning next weekend, they’ll be opening at 8:00AM throughout the remainder of the tournament, and they’ll be ready to watch some great soccer with you.
Stop in on Saturday, Novembe 26th at 2:00PM for Mexico vs. Argentina with everyone from USL to Portland.
Another staple for international sports in Portland, Ri Ra is going to be up and ready to go for almost every single game of the World Cup.
They won’t be able to open for the 5:00AM games (they have to sleep at some point), but they’ll be opening early for every other game scheduled. They’ll open 15 minutes before kickoff, as early as 7:45 AM, with $6 Guinness, food specials and drinks from around the world!
They’ll also be joined by USL to Portland on Tuesday, November 29th at 2:00PM for a USA vs. Iran watch party. Stop in to this authentic Irish pub and watch some footy!
It’s getting harder and harder to find a real sports bar in Portland, but Rivalries on Cotton Street still holds true to the name. If you are looking for the classic sports bar feel, with great foot to boot, this is your choice.
Though they will be limited on games during the work week, given their mid-week hours, you can bet that they’ll have matches on after opening at 11:30 AM on Saturdays and Sundays.
241 Commercial St, Portland, ME 04101, USA $3 Deweys
$3 Deweys
If you’re looking for good vibes and great drinks while you watch the World Cup, $3 Deweys is home to 42 draft beer lines, and is the winner of the Best of 2022 ‘Best Pub’ award, so they seem to know a thing or two.
They like to tote themselves as “Portland’s unofficial headquarters for football,” but usually they are talking about American football. That doesn’t mean you can’t stop in during normal business hours and catch some of the tournament.
They’ll even be hosting watch parties of their own on November 21st, 25th, and 29th for the US’s scheduled 2:00PM games, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they add to those dates if the Americans are able to advance further (I believe!). They’ll have $4 pours of Shipyard’s American Pale Ale during all US matches.
Wherever you choose, you can be sure we have some of the most exciting few weeks in all of sports coming up. Make your plans of how you plan on catching the games, and we’ll see you at Monument Square on Black Friday… Go USA!
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