The biggest change in football over the last 30 years is the "rising tides lift all boats" of globalization, which has produced a much higher caliber of player pool overall - more athletic, better trained, better coached at all levels, and - as you note - optimized by efficient markets.
The 22nd best player on the pitch in 2021 would probably be in the top 8 in the same match in 1991, and the gap between #1 and #22 has significantly shrunk in relative terms.
"Artistry" requires a domination of the discipline so you can then focus on the product without fear of failure to execute.
Funny, to my mind capitalism had destroyed much of the sport.
But it's true I'm thinking from the perspective of somebody coming from a small country (Romania in my case). 20-30 years ago we used to have pretty good teams and players, but the entire sport was gutted once it was open to the international market.
Romanian teams didn't have the funds to compete with Western clubs. Eventually all the good players and coaches left - nowadays Romanian football is played at the level of a second league in a powerful country. The best players get sold off quickly, the experience accumulated over the years has been lost, the national team is in disaray etc.
The 22nd best player on the pitch in 2021 would probably be in the top 8 in the same match in 1991, and the gap between #1 and #22 has significantly shrunk in relative terms.
"Artistry" requires a domination of the discipline so you can then focus on the product without fear of failure to execute.