JAKARTA -- Karim Benzema has ended Kylian Mbappe's small dominance in winning the French Football Player of the Year award. The Real Madrid striker won the award for 2021. This is the fourth award for the Real Madrid striker, as reported by the Daily Mail , Friday (14/1/2022).

The 34-year-old had a spectacular year for club and country which saw him score 38 goals for Los Blancos from January to December. He was later recalled to the France squad at Euro 2020 and won the UEFA Nations League.

Despite Mbappe becoming the 20th player to score 50 goals or more in a calendar year since the turn of the century this year, it is Benzema who claims one of France's highest individual honors.

Mbappe has also won two previous editions of the award in 2018 and 2019, but Benzema won his first version of the award in seven years. This means that he has now won the award four times.

Mbappe, who has been tipped to partner Benzema at Real Madrid in 2022, congratulated his compatriot on social media for the award.

Other winners in recent years include Chelsea's N'Golo Kante, striker Antoine Griezmann and former PSG midfielder Blaise Matuidi. Only one player has now won more awards than Benzema, namely Thierry Henry five times between 2000 and 2006 when he was at Arsenal.

Benzema ended the 2020-21 season with 30 goals in all competitions for Real, but the Spanish giants ended the season without a trophy as city rivals Atletico snatched the La Liga title. Benzema went on to score four goals at Euro 2020 for Les Bleus, who were knocked out in the last 16 to Switzerland on penalties, although Benzema scored twice in normal time.

France were luckier in the UEFA Nations League final later that year when Benzema scored in the semi-final and final victories over Belgium and Spain, respectively. Didier Deschamps' team got another trophy thanks to Benzema's contribution.

Mbappe, scored 43 goals for PSG in 2021 as they won the French Cup this season, plus another eight for France at international level.

Also read: Arteta is reluctant to blame Xhaka for his red card against Liverpool