Brazil's thrilling World Cup semi-final penalty triumph has left them odds on to win the World Cup - and taken one punter a step closer to collecting more than £500,000. Adrian Fitzpatrick placed an £18,000 double on Brazil to retain the World Cup and Arsenal to win the FA Premiership, both at 9-2, last August.

The first half was realised in May when Arsenal won the Premiership. If Brazil win on Sunday, he will bank £544,000 from bookmaker William Hill.

Adrian said there was a huge cheer at his Birmingham home when goalkeeper Taffarel saved the final penalty in the shoot-out against Holland on Tuesday night. "I was more pleased that he proved Alan Hansen wrong after saying their biggest weakness was their goalkeeper. I never got excited though. I was confident."

The 41-year-old father-of-four hopes to repeat his success from the 1994 World Cup, when he scooped £395,000 after backing winners Brazil and the then league champions Manchester United. The life-long Birmingham City fan, who runs a flower importing business in the city, said that if he won he would spend some the money on a family cruise and put the rest in a bank savings account.

Ladbrokes has now shortened the odds on Brazil winning the cup to 1-2 from 6-4 since last night's victory over Holland. Spokesman Sean Boyce said: "They have been favourites all the way since they picked up the Cup four years ago. Whoever came out on top last night was destined to become odds-on favourites to win the whole thing."

Following England's demise in the second round, a Brazil victory has become the worst case scenario for bookmakers, with an estimated industry-wide pay-out of more than £7 million if they win.