New Delhi, June 4 -- Geniuses have their own way of standing out. Sometimes, it is apparent from the way they strut around the field... with an air of arrogance that announces their superiority. It could be the skill, the vision or their sheer physical gifts. But mostly it is a combination of all these things. But no one is born a genius. Rather that mindset is often a result of performances; of successes; of failures; of experiences... stacking one on top of another over the years, moulding a supreme existence. To do it in football, the world's most popular sport, and be recognised for it is anything but easy. Kylian Mbappe has done that. And yet, somehow, he is called upon to give proof of his genius. Over and over again. Strange but true. The 27-year-old from France has an impressive record supporting his claims. Especially in the final match of a World Cup, the pinnacle of the international game. Mbappe has scored the most goals (4: 1 in 2018, 3 in 2022), was just the second teenager to score in one (in 2018, joining Pele who achieved the feat in 1958) and is one of only two players (along with Geoff Hurst) to score a hattrick in the title-round (2022). Also, his eight goals in the last edition were most in a single World Cup in the 21st century. Mbappe's speed has always been the talking point. Matty Cash didn't know what or who went past him when Poland met France at Doha's Al Thumama Stadium and who can forget Mbappe outpacing Argentina in the 2018 round of 16 and again in the 2022 final. Mbappe in full flight can be a blur. He is different from Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo but just as special. He has had a pretty good run in his two years at Real Madrid. The 86 goals in his first two seasons (44 in 2024/25, 42 in 2025/26) with the club, matched the impressive start Ronaldo had made in his early days at Real. Yet, Real haven't won either La Liga or Champions League since the Frenchman joined. It is a point that rankles many fans and certainly gets under Mbappe's skin as well. It was just two days after Real Madrid claimed their 15th Champions League title that Mbappe had announced his decision to join the most successful club in European football, departing Paris Saint-Germain as the club's all-time leading scorer. Then, it seemed like a decision that would propel the brightest young talent in the game to biggest prize Europe offers its clubs. But Real's collective struggles and PSG's resurgence after his departure seem to paint a different picture. It can't all be down to Mbappe but, can he be absolved of the blame completely? Speaking in an interview with Movistar, the former Real Madrid striker and executive Jorge Valdano argued that the scrutiny directed at Mbappe has become excessive. "Kylian Mbappe has won a World Cup and was runner-up in another, scoring three goals in the final," Valdano said. "We are not talking about a fraud, we are talking about perhaps the best player in the world right now." "To place the blame for everything good that happens to Paris Saint-Germain and everything bad that happens to Real Madrid on this man, who is the league's top scorer, seems like an abuse to me." The World Cup is a chance for Mbappe to change the narrative. He may not agree with what is being said but this is the popular discourse. They call it outside noise but in football and in Madrid, it can often become too loud to ignore. At a tactical level, France tend to operate differently from Real. Les Bleus coach Didier Deschamps believes in solidity and few players have the freedom to roam in his system but Mbappe is one of them. During his inaugural lecture at the Sports Journalism Festival in Laval in February this year, Deschamps said that his captain Mbappe is not "selfish" and does not expect him to run "at least 11 km per match." In response to a question by a journalist who believed that the French team's star player was the only one who didn't run in the team, Deschamps said: "That's already the case with the goalkeeper (he joked). That's your analysis, I don't think that's the case, even if some may run less than others. If you want him to run at least 11 km per game, don't bother, he won't do it. " He then added: "Kylian, you either love him or you don't, but young people adore him. You have the image of a selfish, individualistic guy, and, of course, a striker must also be selfish, but I can assure you that in the French team, he behaves like a captain." And that is what makes the World Cup so interesting. It is a stage where questions can be answered, doubts shed. Just what Mbappe would love to achieve. Now, we can only wait for the Mbappe show to begin....