Madrid, Apr 16 (IANS): Tennis great Rafa Nadal and football stars Iker Casillas, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are the athletes most favoured by Spaniards, according to a survey.

Nadal leads the poll for the second year with 21.3 percent of the vote, according to the survey published on Friday, reports Efe.

His dedication, effort and everything he has achieved throughout his career is recognised by Spaniards who consider him the best athlete of the moment.

Casillas, the captain of Spain's football team, came in second with 14 percent despite leaving Real Madrid for Portuguese Porto, followed by Real's Ronaldo and Barcelona's Messi, both with 9.5 percent.

These athletes are followed by other major sports figures such as basketball player Pau Gasol (8 percent), Formula One driver Fernando Alonso (7.8 percent), Barcelona defender Gerard Pique (4.6 percent), Real Madrid's captain Sergio Ramos (3.3 percent), Barcelona midfield talisman Andres Iniesta (3.2 percent), Atletico Madrid striker Fernando Torres (2.8 percent) and Barcelona forward Neymar (2.6 percent).