Neymar: Back is improving

Tokyo — Showing no sign of the back injury that knocked him out of the World Cup, Neymar says he is feeling better and looking forward to the start of the Spanish season with Barcelona.

The 22-year-old Neymar made a promotional trip to Tokyo where he will film a commercial for a Japanese mattress company. About 700 fans greeted him at Tokyo's Haneda Airport on Thursday.

Neymar's first World Cup ended in disappointment when he was carried off the field on a stretcher with a fractured vertebra during Brazil's quarterfinal win over Colombia.

Before his injury, Neymar scored four goals in his five games and was considered one of the stand-out players of the tournament.