Nikita Pavlovich Simonyan (born Mkrtych Pogosovich Simonyan, 12 October 1926) is a former Soviet football striker and coach of Armenian descent. He was born in Armavir. As of 2016 he is the Russian football functionary First Vice-President of the Russian Football Union. Simonyan was awarded the Honoured Master of Sports of the USSR title in 1954, the Honored Coach of Russia title in 1968, the Merited Coach of the USSR title in 1970 and the Commander of the Order "For Services to the Fatherland" award on 29 December 2011. Simonyan is the top scorer in the history of the club Spartak Moscow at 160 goals.

Simonyan was a player for FC Dinamo Sukhumi during his youth career. His first coach was Shota Lominadze. After sixteen years of living in Sokhumi, Simonyan moved to Moscow, where he was invited by Vladimir Gorokhov and Abram Dangulov to join the local club FC Krylya Sovetov Moscow, also known as the "Wings of the Soviets". Gorokhov became Simonyan's first coach in Moscow. For the first match of the Soviet Top League, Simonyan played in Sukhumi against FC Dinamo Minsk. When he arrived in the city, he found out that his house had been searched and his father was arrested. The arrest was organized by the Georgian authorities to put pressure on Simonyan in order to lure him into FC Dinamo Tbilisi. This provocation did not work and Simonyan continued to play for Krylya Sovetov Moscow, where he spent three years.

After Krylya Sovetov Moscow came in last place at the 1948 Soviet Top League, the club was disbanded. Dangulov moved to FC Spartak Moscow and became the new coach, while the players were assigned to various Moscow clubs. Simonyan was to be transferred to FC Torpedo Moscow. In addition to receiving an invitation to play for Torpedo, however, Simonyan had also received an invitation to play for Spartak Moscow. Torpedo Moscow personally invited Simonyan through automobile ZIS director Ivan Likhachev. Simonyan, however, had a stronger desire to play for Spartak Moscow and signed with them in 1949.

In his first year, Spartak Moscow came in third place at the 1949 Soviet Top League. Simonyan had already become the Soviet Top League Top Goalscorer, however, with a total of 26 goals. This was the most goals ever scored in the League. The next year, Spartak came in fifth place at the 1950 Soviet Top League. Simonyan had once again become the Top Goalscorer, this time with a total of 34 goals scored. Simonyan broke his own record of most goals scored in the Soviet Top League. This record would stand until 35 years later, when Oleg Protasov scored 35 goals at the 1985 Soviet Top League. No one else has ever scored more goals in a single Soviet Top League than Simonyan. That same year, Spartak won the Soviet Cup for the first time.

Simonyan and Spartak finally achieved victory in the 1952 Soviet Top League. Simonyan scored five goals that season. This was the fourth time Spartak had won the Top League and the first time in thirteen years. Spartak won the Top League again the following year at the 1953 Soviet Top League. Simonyan also became the Soviet Top League Top Goalscorer for a third and final time with a total of 14 goals. Spartak won the 1956 Soviet Top League three years later. Simonyan scored 16 goals that season, just one short of the 1956 Top Goalscorer Vasily Buzunov. Simonyan won the Top League with Spartak for the last time as a player at the 1958 Soviet Top League. He scored nine goals throughout the season. Spartak also won the 1958 Soviet Cup for a second time. Simonyan left the club in 1959. He made 233 appearances and scored 133 goals for Spartak throughout his career, a record that has not been surpassed.

Simonyan joined the Soviet Union national football team in 1954. He competed with the Soviet team at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne. The team defeated Germany, Indonesia, Bulgaria and finally Yugoslavia to win the gold medal in football.

Simonyan was a member of the Soviet football team at the 1958 FIFA World Cup, its first World Cup. Because Team Captain Igor Netto was unable to play due to injury for most of the World Cup, Simonyan was named Captain of the USSR national football team in his place. The team was placed in Group 4, considered by the experts to be the toughest of the 1958 World Cup. The Union's games against England and Brazil were the most attended in the group stage. Simonyan scored a goal against England and was an important asset, as the Soviet team would have been defeated without it. The Soviet Union lost to the Pelé-led Brazil team in the final group game. The USSR came in second place, which qualified them for the knockout stage. They were defeated by Sweden. Simonyan played his last match on 19 June 1958. Out of 20 internationals for the Soviet Union national football team, he managed to score 10 goals.