Neymar's Return to Good Health Excites Fans, Boosting FIFA Hopes

The 26-year-old Paris Saint-Germain forward will fly from Rio to Paris on Friday, just over a month ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2018 set to be held in Russia.

The Brazilian football star’s recovery has boosted fans’ hopes as they are expecting him to lead the Brazilian team out in Russia.

Neymar has been undergoing surgery and recovery in Brazil after breaking a bone in his right foot while playing for PSG on February 26, according to French daily L'Equipe.

The publication further reported that the striker has been walking without crutches for two weeks, but he said that he would not play before a final medical checkup due on May 17, just two days ahead of his club's last match of the season.

At $220 million, Neymar is the most expensive player in history. In his absence from Paris, his team, PSG, were beaten by Real Madrid in the Champions League, but have regained the French league title and the League Cup and face third division Les Herbiers on Tuesday.

The FIFA World Cup 2018 will take place in Russia from June 14 to July 15. Matches will take place in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kaliningrad, Volgograd, Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod, Samara, Saransk, Rostov-on-Don, Yekaterinburg and Sochi.