Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema has said that he is happy to sit on the bench for France as long as he is contributing to the team.

France, who left Benzema on the bench last week against Ukraine, face an uphill task to qualify for the World Cup after losing the first leg of their playoff clash 2-0 in Kiev.

"I'm a competitor, I love playing football," he told Telefoot. "When I'm on a football pitch, I'm very happy, but here we're all playing together.

"This is a collective. I want to offer a plus to the French team, but I don't want to be the hero. The hero is the team."

The second leg will take place on Tuesday.