BOOKIES are bracing themselves for a huge payout if England lift the World Cup in Paris on July 12. It's estimated that fans have placed bets totalling more than �150m on France 98, many of them backing Glenn Hoddle's team to conquer the world, but there have been a huge number of gambles on everything from the score in the final to goalkeepers getting on the scoresheet.
One man in London has bet �2000 on 250-1 long shots Jamaica winning it all, while a punter in Scotland has put �2000 on a Scotland-Brazil final at 350-1 and a grand on the slightly more realistic prospect of Italy meeting Brazil in the big one, at 10-1. Ladbrokes have taken a bet that England will beat Germany 2-1 in the final, with Alan Shearer scoring the first goal. Looking for a bet that's a little out of the ordinary? You can get odds of 250-1 on Denmark goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel scoring - with a header during the finals.

ODDS ON VICTORY

Brazil            3-1

France           11-2

Italy             6-1

Argentina         7-1

Germany           7-1

England           8-1

Holland          10-1

Ronaldo           4-1

Batistuta         8-1

Del Piero        10-1

Shearer          10-1

Bierhoff         12-1

INCE STARRING IN FIFA VIDEO NASTY PAUL INCE is one of the stars of a new FIFA video, but it's no great honour for the Liverpool and England midfielder. Challenges by Ince, Spain's Juan Antonio Pizzi and Stefan Reuter of Germany feature in a tape supplied to the 32 World Cup squads illustrating the kind of tackles from behind that will get players sent off during the tournament. Ince's tackle was a scything lunge from behind on a Chilean player in February's friendly at Wembley, the clips of Pizzi and Reuter show the players lunging in from behind and slightly to the side well after the ball had gone. "It is the vicious, deliberate assault on an opponent, the attempt to stop opponents at all costs that will lead to a red card," said David Will, head of FIFA's referees committee. Of the six tackles on the tape, two resulted in dismissals. "We want to be sure that the decisions taken will be uniform, will be consistent and will be correct." Many of the teams at France 98 have worked with their country's World Cup refs to teach the players about the new rules, but there are still concerns that the competition could be reduced to farce by a flurry of red cards. Will denied that officials will be hoodwinked by play-acting strikers trying to get defenders sent off, claiming: "The referees here are the best in the world."

BAGGIO'S JOY AT INTER MOVE THE World Cup is the biggest football show on earth, but Italy's Roberto Baggio is already looking beyond France 98 to the day when he links up with World Footballer Of The Year Ronaldo at Inter Milan. Baggio, who famously missed the penalty that made Brazil champions at USA 94, was fought his way back into Cesare Maldini's squad with a 22-goal season for Bologna that also earned him a move to the Milan giants. "It shows life can start again at 31, he said. I'm really happy to be playing with Ronaldo. On paper, we'll make a great partnership. But in practice it will be more difficult because everybody will be expecting a great deal from us. The fans will obviously be expecting us to go one better than last season - and that means winning the title. I'm also looking forward to playing in the Champions League." His move to Inter comes three years after they lost out to arch-rivals AC Milan in the fight for his signature when he left Juventus. The fact that they called me back after three years must mean that they have faith in me, said Baggio, who had been linked with Premiership champions Arsenal. Brazilian Ronaldo, who could end up facing his new strike partner in the Final, is just as eager to get started. "I'm glad, he said. Now it's going to be easier to beat Juventus and win the championship."

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