Nigeria’s Moses Simon set to battle PSG star for new honour created by French Ligue 1

Nigeria international Moses Simon is in line to be among the first players to be honoured with a new badge newly introduced by the organisers of the French Ligue 1, Soccernet.ng reports.

Moses Simon is in the running for a newly introduced honour in French football, as Ligue 1 organisers unveil the ‘Top Passeur’ badge — an award recognising the league’s leading assist provider.

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The Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) confirmed the initiative on Wednesday, February 5, extending last season’s badge system that rewards the league’s top scorer.

Derrière chaque buteur se cache un passeur.
Nouveau badge : le #TopPasseur pic.twitter.com/3z21jERSlk

— Ligue 1 McDonald’s (@Ligue1) February 5, 2025

This term, Paris Saint-Germain’s Ousmane Dembélé currently holds the leading goalscorer badge, having netted 14 times in 20 matches. He is closely pursued by Olympique Marseille’s Mason Greenwood (13 goals) and Lille’s Jonathan David (12 goals).

In a bid to further highlight creative excellence, the LFP has introduced the ‘Top Passeur’ distinction, which will be displayed on the jersey of Ligue 1’s top assist provider.

The first player to receive this badge is PSG’s Portuguese midfielder Joao Neves, who has registered six assists in 16 appearances this season, according to Ouest-France.

Joao Neves, le #TopPasseur pic.twitter.com/X0L0ejpuDW

— Ligue 1 McDonald’s (@Ligue1) February 5, 2025

However, Nantes’ Moses Simon, who is one of Europe’s best dribblers, is in strong contention to claim the honour, having provided six assists in 18 league outings.

The award-winning Super Eagles winger is level with Neves (who has played fewer games, though,) and Strasbourg’s Dilane Bakwa. However, a standout performance for Simon in his next fixture could see him overtake Neves and become the second recipient of the new badge.

Moses Simon: The Super Eagle soaring high in France

Simon has been a key figure for Nantes this season, directly contributing to 11 league goals (five goals, six assists).

The former Leganes ace has consistently delivered in the final third, scoring against Saint-Étienne, Rennes, Lens, Montpellier, and Auxerre, while his assists have come against Brest, Lyon, Lens, Nice, Angers, and Reims.

As Nantes prepare to face high-flying Brest this weekend, Simon will have an opportunity to make his mark once again.

A couple of assists could see him move ahead of Neves and secure his place as Ligue 1’s leading playmaker.