Funny that you say that Europe hires based on quantity and then you put an example (Lionel Messi) of a European football player*. I don't believe that's true.

Funny that you say that Europe hires based on quantity and then you put an example (Lionel Messi) of a European football player*. I don't believe that's true. We also have our "rockstars" in Europe that we know are nigh unreplaceable, from Santiago Calatrava (architect), soccer players as you said, etc. in modern times to all of the classic artists and architects which are known by name. I think one big difference is that technology came a decade or more later to e.g. Spain, so there's still a strong generational difference where older hiring people do not see a big difference from a "kid" fixing their computer/phone or making a website, and don't see the value so much. Add all of the other related things, like even if they saw it valuable there's little related infra, specific knowledge, etc. *weeell technically Argentinian but the high of his career was in Spain